Did Missouri approve the fiscal note summary for Jamie Howard's initiative petition 2026-009?
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This page answers the general question as of 2025. Ezel answers yours: what it means for your facts, under current Missouri law, with citations.
Plain-English summary
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey approved the legal content and form of the fiscal note summary for Jamie Howard's initiative petition 2026-009. The submitted summary estimated no costs or savings for state and local governmental entities.
The review under § 116.175.4, RSMo was limited. The opinion did not endorse the petition and did not examine whether the estimated fiscal impact was fair or sufficient.
What this means for you
Initiative petition proponents
The fiscal note summary for petition 2026-009 passed the attorney general's legal-content-and-form review. The opinion did not approve the petition's objectives.
State and local government officials
The submitted summary estimated no governmental costs or savings. The attorney general did not assess the fairness or sufficiency of that estimate.
Election lawyers and ballot-measure researchers
Opinion 5-2025 documents the statutory review of the fiscal note summary, not an independent fiscal analysis by the attorney general.
Common questions
Q: What fiscal impact did the summary report?
A: It estimated no costs or savings for state and local governmental entities.
Q: Did the attorney general approve the fiscal note summary?
A: Yes. The opinion approved its legal content and form under § 116.175.4, RSMo.
Q: Did the attorney general verify the fiscal estimate?
A: No. The opinion said the review did not examine the fairness or sufficiency of the estimated fiscal impact.
Background and statutory framework
The Missouri State Auditor submitted the fiscal note and fiscal note summary on December 27, 2024. They were prepared under § 116.175, RSMo for initiative petition 2026-009.
The attorney general issued the legal-content-and-form approval on January 6, 2025 under § 116.175.4, RSMo.
Citations and references
Statutes: § 116.175, RSMo; § 116.175.4, RSMo.
Source
- Landing page: https://ago.mo.gov/other-resources/ag-opinions/
- Original PDF: https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/5-2025.pdf
Original opinion text
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI
ANDREW BAILEY
January 6, 2025
OPINION LETTER NO. 5-2025
The Honorable Scott Fitzpatrick
Missouri State Auditor
State Capitol, Room 229
Jefferson City, MO 65101
Dear Auditor Fitzpatrick:
This office received your letter of December 27, 2024, submitting a fiscal note and fiscal note summary prepared under § 116.175, RSMo, for an initiative petition submitted by Jamie Howard, 2026-009. The fiscal note summary that you submitted is as follows:
State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.
Under § 116.175.4, RSMo, we approve the legal content and form of the fiscal note summary. Because our review of the fiscal note summary is mandated by statute, no action that we take with respect to such review should be construed as an endorsement of the initiative petition or as the expression of any view regarding the objectives of its proponents. Furthermore, our review under § 116.175.4 does not examine the fairness or sufficiency of the estimated fiscal impact.
Very truly yours,
ANDREW BAILEY
Attorney General
OP-2025-005
Supreme Court Building
207 W. High Street
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-3321
Fax: (573) 751-0774
www.ago.mo.gov
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