What fair ballot language did Missouri approve for House Joint Resolution No. 3 on ballot-measure elections?

Plain-English summary

Missouri Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway approved the legal content and form of the proposed fair ballot language for House Committee Substitute for House Joint Resolution No. 3, a constitutional measure concerning ballot measures.

The approved "yes" statement said the measure would stop foreign nationals and foreign adversaries from funding ballot-measure elections and allow criminal prosecution, make petition-signature fraud a crime, require public hearings before initiative petitions reached the ballot, require a majority in every congressional district to approve constitutional initiatives, and make the full petition text available to voters with their ballots.

The approved "no" statement said those changes would not be made. The fiscal sentence said the measure would not increase or decrease taxes.

The Attorney General reviewed only the language's legal content and form under § 116.025, RSMo and did not endorse the joint resolution.

What this means for you

Voters

Opinion 319-2025 records the official "yes," "no," and tax-effect wording approved for this measure. It does not take a position on how anyone should vote.

Election officials

The approved language covered five substantive features and a separate statement that taxes would not increase or decrease.

Ballot-measure researchers

The opinion preserves the wording tying constitutional-initiative approval to a majority in each congressional district and requiring full petition text to be available with the ballot.

Common questions

Q: What foreign funding did the language address?
A: Funding from foreign nationals and foreign adversaries of the United States intended to influence ballot-measure elections.

Q: What approval rule did it describe for constitutional initiatives?
A: A majority of voters in each congressional district.

Q: What did it say about taxes?
A: The measure would not increase or decrease taxes.

Q: Did the Attorney General endorse House Joint Resolution No. 3?
A: No. The opinion expressly limited approval to the legal content and form of the proposed fair ballot language.

Background and statutory framework

The Secretary of State requested review on October 2, 2025 of proposed fair ballot language for House Committee Substitute for House Joint Resolution No. 3.

The Attorney General issued Opinion 319-2025 on October 14, 2025 and approved the legal content and form under § 116.025, RSMo.

Citations and references

Statute: § 116.025, RSMo.

Source

• Landing page: https://ago.mo.gov/other-resources/ag-opinions/
• Original PDF: https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/319-2025.pdf

Original opinion text

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI
CATHERINE L. HANAWAY

October 14, 2025

OPINION LETTER NO. 319-2025

Honorable Denny Hoskins, CPA
Missouri Secretary of State
James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center
600 West Main Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Dear Secretary Hoskins:

This opinion letter responds to your request dated October 2, 2025, for our review under § 116.025, RSMo, of a proposed fair ballot language statement for House Committee Substitute for House Joint Resolution No. 3 relating to ballot measures. The proposed fair ballot language statement is as follows:

A "yes" vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to:

• stop foreign nationals and foreign adversaries of the United States from providing funding to influence ballot measure elections, and allow criminal prosecution of violators;
• punish initiative petition signature fraud as a crime;
• require public hearings to get public comment before initiative petitions are placed on the ballot;
• require a majority of voters in each congressional district to approve initiative petitions to amend the constitution; and
• make available to each voter the full text of initiative petitions with their ballot.

A "no" vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution to stop foreign contributions to ballot measure elections, punish petition signature fraud, require public hearings, require approval in each congressional district, or make available the full text of initiative petitions with the ballot.

If passed, this measure will not increase or decrease taxes.

Pursuant to §116.025, RSMo, we approve the legal content and form of the proposed fair ballot language statement.

Because our review of the fair ballot language statement is mandated by statute, no action we take with respect to such review should be construed as an endorsement of the joint resolution, nor as the expression of any view regarding the objectives of its proponents.

Very truly yours,

CATHERINE L. HANAWAY
Missouri Attorney General