FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Contact: Nimrod Chapel, Jr., President, Missouri State Conference of the NAACP

president@monaacp.org | (816) 309-5009

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – The Missouri NAACP strongly condemns the Missouri Legislature’s attempt to gut the initiative petition process, a fundamental tool of direct democracy that has empowered citizens for over a century. The latest attack, dubbed by Missourians as the “Let Politicians Lie Act,” would allow partisan officials to manipulate ballot language to mislead voters and prevent the courts from acting as a safeguard against such deception.

Senate Bill 22 (SB22) would grant the Secretary of State up to three chances to rewrite ballot language, even after a court finds it deceptive, and would empower partisan judges to approve misleading language. This blatant power grab seeks to silence voters and consolidate control over Missouri’s elections in the hands of politicians who have repeatedly shown their willingness to suppress democratic participation.

“The Missouri Legislature is working to petrify Jim Crow into law by dismantling one of the last protections voters have against government overreach,” said Nimrod Chapel, Jr., President of the Missouri State Conference of the NAACP. “By attacking the initiative petition process, lawmakers are attempting to take away the people’s power to decide what’s best for their own communities. We know from history that when politicians manipulate voting laws, it disproportionately harms Black Missourians and other marginalized communities. This is a direct assault on our democracy, and we will not stand idly by while our rights are stripped away.”

The initiative petition process has long served as a critical tool for Missourians to push for policies when politicians refuse to act—whether it’s expanding Medicaid, raising wages, or advancing civil rights. By undermining this process, SB22 disproportionately impacts Black and Brown communities, who have historically used ballot measures to fight for justice and equality when lawmakers failed to represent their interests.

“This is not just about language on a ballot—it’s about power and who gets to wield it,” Chapel continued. “This legislation is designed to suppress the voices of Missouri’s most vulnerable communities and rig the system to benefit those in power. We’ve seen this strategy before—whether it was literacy tests during Jim Crow or modern-day voter suppression laws—when politicians try to manipulate democracy, it is always at the expense of the people they are supposed to serve.”

The Missouri NAACP has already reached out to Senator Doug Beck regarding the urgent need for legislators to be coordinated, engaged, and not allow dangerous bills like SB22 to sail through the Senate without even a mumble of opposition. The responsibility of our elected officials is not to remain silent in the face of attacks on democracy, but to actively defend the rights of their constituents. We expect Missouri’s leaders to stand firm against this blatant attempt to subvert the will of the people.

If SB22 becomes law, it will set a dangerous precedent, allowing partisan officials to distort the truth and deceive voters without consequence. The Missouri NAACP calls on all

Missourians—Black, white, and Brown—to reject this attack on our democracy and stand together in defense of our right to fair and honest elections. The Missouri NAACP urges all voters, civil rights advocates, and democracy defenders to take action. Call your legislators and demand they oppose SB22. We must protect the initiative petition process and ensure that the will of the people—not the will of politicians—determines the future of our state.

For more information or to join the fight against voter suppression, please contact Nimrod Chapel, Jr. at president@monaacp.org or visit www.monaacp.org.

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