GOP scheme to stifle democratic initiatives goes down in flames

In a defeat for Republicans, Missouri voters have rejected Amendment 4, a legislature-led initiative to crack down on direct democracy.

The measure was defeated, according to projections from the Associated Press and NBC News.

Under Amendment 4, any citizen-led ballot initiative would have to win a majority of the vote in all eight of the state's congressional districts, not simply statewide. This would make it almost impossible to pass any measure not backed by Republicans, as the state's congressional map is aggressively gerrymandered.

Republicans, led by Gov. Mike Kehoe, claimed Amendment 4 was necessary to stop big-money spending from out-of-state special interests.

Missouri voters have repeatedly frustrated the GOP on various ballot initiatives, overturning the legislature's plan to undermine labor union rights and their near-total ban on abortion. More recently, election-rights groups led by People Not Politicians have fought to put a citizen initiative on the ballot that would overturn the GOP's mid-decade gerrymander to draw Democrats out of representing Kansas City.

GOP Secretary of State Denny Hoskins refused to certify that amendment on Tuesday, under his opinion that the Missouri Constitution doesn't allow citizen initiatives to apply to redistricting. This move is being challenged in state court.