We the People of Johnson County Missouri, Wednesday, September 6, 2023 💪 This is YOUR OPPORTUNITY to MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Hi Folks,

I received this email regarding an imminent situation regarding the destruction of both our Missouri and National Constitution. The issues at hand include abortion and gun rights.

Read through and take action. If you don’t have time to read through right now, skip to the TAKE ACTION section at the bottom and TAKE ACTION.

I’ve called and left emails for the 4 people listed below under TAKE ACTION. It takes about 5 minutes. Take those 5 minutes to help change our world for the better. You’ll feel SO GOOD after you’ve done it! I promise.

LETTER FROM RON CALZONE AT MOFIRST.ORG

Please bear with me as I try to explain a complicated situation.   It would be best if you read this all the way to the end to get the big picture and find out what YOU can do, but let's start with a brief executive summary. (Read this email and supporting documents at: www.mofirst.org/issues/ratification/special-session.php)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

ABORTION PETITIONS: There are now 17 - 11 submitted by one group and 6  just submitted by another group on August 30.  ALL of them would create a constitutionally protected "right" to abortion for the full nine months of pregnancy - some outright, and others with a "health of the mother" exception. At least four of them would actually REQUIRE the legislature to fund healthcare providers seeking funding. That move might be intended to secure funding from deep-pocket organizations, like Washington University.

GUN CONTROL PETITIONS:  On August 16th, a group with some leverage submitted 3 petitions that would constitutionally allow the cities of St. Louis and Kansas City, and any county that chooses, to "regulate the possession or carrying of firearms" within their jurisdiction, both for residents and non-residents.

These measures would override the state gun control preemption statute and the Second Amendment Preservation Act.

One of the abortion proposals will almost certainly make it on the 2024 ballot, and there is a very good chance one of the gun control measures, will, too.

FACTS:

• The only legislative action that can effectively protect the Missouri Constitution from these attacks is to raise the bar on ratifying proposed amendments.
   

• The Ratification Reform proposal that has the most support from the most legislators is the Concurrent Majority Ratification.  (Read about it, below.)
   

• The Governor can place proposed amendments on special election ballots held on any day he chooses.
   

• Both the abortion and gun control measures are least likely to pass if on the August 2024, ballot.
   

• Historical precedent supports the idea of the Governor choosing to put a proposed amendment to establish Concurrent Majority Ratification on a special election ballot all by itself prior to the August ballot.
   

• The Governor has the power to call a special session to take up ratification reform in September.

THE MAIN OBSTACLES:

Speaker of the House, Dean Plocher, and the Missouri Realtor's Association were the primary obstacles to passing a meaningful bill last session, and continue to be the main problem.

Plocher wants the Realtor's support in his bid for Lieutenant Governor, and the Realtors, who have successfully amended the Constitution by petition with two (good) measures don't want the bar raised. The irony is, that both of the Realtor's measures would have passed under Concurrent Majority Ratification.

Skip to the end if you are ready for the CALL TO ACTION.
 

---

A DEEPER DIVE INTO DETAILS

For years I have defended the right of the People to use the petition process to rein in abusive or unresponsive government.

Each year as I witness the stranglehold the special interests have on state government, especially the legislative process, my commitment grows stronger to the declaration in Section 1 of Missouri Bill of Rights -- that all political power is vested in the People and that they loan it to government.

And I remain committed to defending Section 3, too, where is says that the People of Missouri have the right to alter their own Constitution.

Short of violence, the petition process is the last recourse the People have to assert these powers.

But...

Year by year, we face an ever increasing threat from well-funded special interests -- often from out of state -- who appeal to voters in just a few urban areas to undermine the core common ground values of Missourians with amendments to the Missouri Constitution. (Past votes have proven that you can get a simple majority statewide vote primarily from the urban areas.)

ABORTION

Right now, one organization with deep pockets has submitted eleven petitions, and another organization submitted six petitions, for the 2024 ballot that, if St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and a chunk of Springfield support, will provide constitutional protections for a "pregnant person" to kill their unborn baby right up to the moment of delivery. Although the language is deceptive in some of them, every one of the petitions would permit abortions for a full 9 months.

Some of the versions of their petition even allow abortionists to decide that a minor's parents' consent is not necessary for an abortion.


GUN CONTROL

To make matters worse, another group has filed three petitions that would allow St. Louis, Kansas City and ANY COUNTY to enact laws that regulate the possession or carrying of firearms in their jurisdiction whether you are a resident or not. These local laws would supersede state statutes and negate our current excellent constitutional protection of gun rights.

These petitions were approved for circulation on August 16th 2023 and will be on the August or November 2024 ballots if they get enough signatures.


WE MUST FIGHT BACK WITHOUT SHOOTING OURSELVES IN THE FOOT

Some say we need "IP Reform" -- make it harder to use the petition process. There are at least three problems with that idea: 

1. It would undermine the most fundamental aspects of our Republic by giving government even more power with less ability for the People to rein it in.
    

2. You can make it twice or three times as hard to do a petition and it will hardly slow the special interests with deep pockets while killing any grass-roots petition effort. 
    

3. Making it harder to do petitions is a loser at the ballot box -- such proposals fail in state after state.

The real clincher is that changes to the petition process won't affect the gun control and abortion petitions already under way.


THE PRINCIPLED AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTION

The answer is in "Ratification Reform."

It's crazy to allow a simple majority statewide vote to change the fundamental law of the land, especially when it takes only the leftist urban vote to reach that simple majority. One of the most basic tenets of an American Constitutional Republic is the protection of minority interests from "tyranny of the majority."

That's why we have an electoral college - we don't allow New York, California, Massachusetts, and Chicago to select the President.

And we don't have a national popular vote to amend the U.S. Constitution!

The principled solution is for Missouri to mimic the process for amending the U.S. Constitution -- that is, require a broad geographical consensus before ratifying (adopting) a constitutional amendment.

The Founders called that establishing a "concurrent majority."

Concurrent Majority Ratification in Missouri would look like this: 

In order to adopt a proposed constitutional amendment, two conditions would have to be met.  1) A majority statewide popular vote, and 2) a majority vote of the people in more than half the state House Districts.

That would raise the bar for changing our state Constitution by requiring a much broader consensus, geographically, and finally give rural Missourians some say in amending the Constitution.


IMPLEMENTING THE SOLUTION

There's more...

In order for a change to the ratification process to affect any given ballot measure (like the abortion and gun control petitions), the vote for the ratification change must happen at least 30 days before those ballot measures are voted on. That means we need to enact Concurrent Majority Ratification well before the August 2024 primary election.

Governor Parson is the key to making that happen.  He needs to do two things the people have empowered him to do:

1. Call a special session of the state legislature for the express purpose of putting a Concurrent Majority Ratification question on the ballot for the people of Missouri to adopt.
    

2. Once the legislature has passed a resolution to put a Concurrent Majority Ratification question on the ballot, the Governor has the power to call a special election any time he chooses.  He should call that election for sometime between February and April, 2024 with ONLY the Concurrent Majority Ratification Question on it.

Two weeks ago, eight conservative senators asked the Governor to do exactly those two things.  The letter was from Senator Jill Carter and signed by senators Bill Eigel, Denny Hoskins, Andrew Koenig, Rick Brattin, Mike Moon, Nick Schroer, and ben Brown.  Read the letter here: http://www.mofirst.org/emails/Special-Session-Letter-to-Governor-Parson-Signatures.pdf


HISTORICAL PRECEDENT

Won't there be political ramifications for the Governor if he tries to raise the bar before the progressive ballot measures are voted on?

Yes, but there will be political ramifications if he doesn't, as well.  He will need to decide which political ramifications matter more -- those from progressives or those from conservatives.

Fortunately for the Governor, putting Concurrent Majority Ratification on a ballot all by itself is both the RIGHT thing to do AND there is historical precedent for doing so.

You see, every time Missouri voters have been asked a momentous question, like whether to adopt a new constitution or, in 1924, whether to adopt a couple of dozen amendment proposed by a constitutional convention, those questions have been on special election ballots all by themselves, without the distractions of a lot of candidates an other issues.

What the eight conservative senators are asking the Governor to do is actually the norm, when compared to the whole history of Missouri.


CALL TO ACTION --  WHAT YOU CAN DO
 

1. So far, the Governor has not agreed with the conservative senators' request.  He need to hear from you, too!
   
   Please call the Governor and politely tell him that you agree with the senators' request for a special session and that this is his chance to protect our Constitution from the anti-life and anti-gun agenda.
   
   Governor Parson's phone number: (573) 751-3222 Please bear with me as I try to explain a complicated situation.   It would be best if you read this all the way to the end to get the big picture and find out what YOU can do, but let's start with a brief executive summary. (Read this email and supporting documents at: www.mofirst.org/issues/ratification/special-session.php)
   
   EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
   
   ABORTION PETITIONS: There are now 17 - 11 submitted by one group and 6  just submitted by another group on August 30.  ALL of them would create a constitutionally protected "right" to abortion for the full nine months of pregnancy - some outright, and others with a "health of the mother" exception. At least four of them would actually REQUIRE the legislature to fund healthcare providers seeking funding. That move might be intended to secure funding from deep-pocket organizations, like Washington University.
   
   GUN CONTROL PETITIONS:  On August 16th, a group with some leverage submitted 3 petitions that would constitutionally allow the cities of St. Louis and Kansas City, and any county that chooses, to "regulate the possession or carrying of firearms" within their jurisdiction, both for residents and non-residents.
   
   These measures would override the state gun control preemption statute and the Second Amendment Preservation Act.
   
   One of the abortion proposals will almost certainly make it on the 2024 ballot, and there is a very good chance one of the gun control measures, will, too.
   
   FACTS:

   • The only legislative action that can effectively protect the Missouri Constitution from these attacks is to raise the bar on ratifying proposed amendments.
      

   • The Ratification Reform proposal that has the most support from the most legislators is the Concurrent Majority Ratification.  (Read about it, below.)
      

   • The Governor can place proposed amendments on special election ballots held on any day he chooses.
      

   • Both the abortion and gun control measures are least likely to pass if on the August 2024, ballot.
      

   • Historical precedent supports the idea of the Governor choosing to put a proposed amendment to establish Concurrent Majority Ratification on a special election ballot all by itself prior to the August ballot.
      

   • The Governor has the power to call a special session to take up ratification reform in September.

   THE MAIN OBSTACLES:
   
   Speaker of the House, Dean Plocher, and the Missouri Realtor's Association were the primary obstacles to passing a meaningful bill last session, and continue to be the main problem.
   
   Plocher wants the Realtor's support in his bid for Lieutenant Governor, and the Realtors, who have successfully amended the Constitution by petition with two (good) measures don't want the bar raised. The irony is, that both of the Realtor's measures would have passed under Concurrent Majority Ratification.
   
   Skip to the end if you are ready for the CALL TO ACTION.
    

   ---

   A DEEPER DIVE INTO DETAILS
   
   For years I have defended the right of the People to use the petition process to rein in abusive or unresponsive government.
   
   Each year as I witness the stranglehold the special interests have on state government, especially the legislative process, my commitment grows stronger to the declaration in Section 1 of Missouri Bill of Rights -- that all political power is vested in the People and that they loan it to government.
   
   And I remain committed to defending Section 3, too, where is says that the People of Missouri have the right to alter their own Constitution.
   
   Short of violence, the petition process is the last recourse the People have to assert these powers.
   
   But...
   
   Year by year, we face an ever increasing threat from well-funded special interests -- often from out of state -- who appeal to voters in just a few urban areas to undermine the core common ground values of Missourians with amendments to the Missouri Constitution. (Past votes have proven that you can get a simple majority statewide vote primarily from the urban areas.)
   
   ABORTION
   
   Right now, one organization with deep pockets has submitted eleven petitions, and another organization submitted six petitions, for the 2024 ballot that, if St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and a chunk of Springfield support, will provide constitutional protections for a "pregnant person" to kill their unborn baby right up to the moment of delivery. Although the language is deceptive in some of them, every one of the petitions would permit abortions for a full 9 months.
   
   Some of the versions of their petition even allow abortionists to decide that a minor's parents' consent is not necessary for an abortion.
   
   
   GUN CONTROL
   
   To make matters worse, another group has filed three petitions that would allow St. Louis, Kansas City and ANY COUNTY to enact laws that regulate the possession or carrying of firearms in their jurisdiction whether you are a resident or not. These local laws would supersede state statutes and negate our current excellent constitutional protection of gun rights.
   
   These petitions were approved for circulation on August 16th 2023 and will be on the August or November 2024 ballots if they get enough signatures.
   
   
   WE MUST FIGHT BACK WITHOUT SHOOTING OURSELVES IN THE FOOT
   
   Some say we need "IP Reform" -- make it harder to use the petition process. There are at least three problems with that idea: 

   1. It would undermine the most fundamental aspects of our Republic by giving government even more power with less ability for the People to rein it in.
       

   2. You can make it twice or three times as hard to do a petition and it will hardly slow the special interests with deep pockets while killing any grass-roots petition effort. 
       

   3. Making it harder to do petitions is a loser at the ballot box -- such proposals fail in state after state.

   The real clincher is that changes to the petition process won't affect the gun control and abortion petitions already under way.
   
   
   THE PRINCIPLED AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTION
   
   The answer is in "Ratification Reform."
   
   It's crazy to allow a simple majority statewide vote to change the fundamental law of the land, especially when it takes only the leftist urban vote to reach that simple majority. One of the most basic tenets of an American Constitutional Republic is the protection of minority interests from "tyranny of the majority."
   
   That's why we have an electoral college - we don't allow New York, California, Massachusetts, and Chicago to select the President.
   
   And we don't have a national popular vote to amend the U.S. Constitution!
   
   The principled solution is for Missouri to mimic the process for amending the U.S. Constitution -- that is, require a broad geographical consensus before ratifying (adopting) a constitutional amendment.
   
   The Founders called that establishing a "concurrent majority."
   
   Concurrent Majority Ratification in Missouri would look like this: 
   
   In order to adopt a proposed constitutional amendment, two conditions would have to be met.  1) A majority statewide popular vote, and 2) a majority vote of the people in more than half the state House Districts.
   
   That would raise the bar for changing our state Constitution by requiring a much broader consensus, geographically, and finally give rural Missourians some say in amending the Constitution.
   
   
   IMPLEMENTING THE SOLUTION
   
   There's more...
   
   In order for a change to the ratification process to affect any given ballot measure (like the abortion and gun control petitions), the vote for the ratification change must happen at least 30 days before those ballot measures are voted on. That means we need to enact Concurrent Majority Ratification well before the August 2024 primary election.
   
   Governor Parson is the key to making that happen.  He needs to do two things the people have empowered him to do:

   1. Call a special session of the state legislature for the express purpose of putting a Concurrent Majority Ratification question on the ballot for the people of Missouri to adopt.
       

   2. Once the legislature has passed a resolution to put a Concurrent Majority Ratification question on the ballot, the Governor has the power to call a special election any time he chooses.  He should call that election for sometime between February and April, 2024 with ONLY the Concurrent Majority Ratification Question on it.

   Two weeks ago, eight conservative senators asked the Governor to do exactly those two things.  The letter was from Senator Jill Carter and signed by senators Bill Eigel, Denny Hoskins, Andrew Koenig, Rick Brattin, Mike Moon, Nick Schroer, and ben Brown.  Read the letter here: http://www.mofirst.org/emails/Special-Session-Letter-to-Governor-Parson-Signatures.pdf
   
   
   HISTORICAL PRECEDENT
   
   Won't there be political ramifications for the Governor if he tries to raise the bar before the progressive ballot measures are voted on?
   
   Yes, but there will be political ramifications if he doesn't, as well.  He will need to decide which political ramifications matter more -- those from progressives or those from conservatives.
   
   Fortunately for the Governor, putting Concurrent Majority Ratification on a ballot all by itself is both the RIGHT thing to do AND there is historical precedent for doing so.
   
   You see, every time Missouri voters have been asked a momentous question, like whether to adopt a new constitution or, in 1924, whether to adopt a couple of dozen amendment proposed by a constitutional convention, those questions have been on special election ballots all by themselves, without the distractions of a lot of candidates an other issues.
   
   What the eight conservative senators are asking the Governor to do is actually the norm, when compared to the whole history of Missouri.
   
   
   CALL TO ACTION --  WHAT YOU CAN DO
    

   1. So far, the Governor has not agreed with the conservative senators' request.  He need to hear from you, too!
      
      Please call the Governor and politely tell him that you agree with the senators' request for a special session and that this is his chance to protect our Constitution from the anti-life and anti-gun agenda.
      
      Governor Parson's phone number: (573) 751-3222 Email: governor.mo.gov
       

   2. Also, call your state rep and senator and tell them you want them to support the special session call, and especially tell them to support Concurrent Majority Ratification using state House districts as the second metric.  They will know what you mean.
      
      Do the same as you run into them while they are campaigning!
       

   3. Call and email Speaker Dean Plocher, and tell him not to throw unborn babies and our gun rights under the bus in his pandering to the Realtors and pursuit of higher office.
      
      Speaker Dean Plocher's phone number: (573) 751-1544
      Email: Dean.Plocher@house.mo.gov
       

   4. Call the Missouri Realtor's Association and tell them to get out of the way of the people's effort to protect life and our right to self-defense. Tell them to stop supporting the abortion and anti-gun agenda
      
      Missouri Realtors Phone: (573) 445-8400
      Email: missourirealtors@morealtor.com

   
   
   In liberty,
   
   - Ron
    

   --

   And now that the legislators and do-gooders have so futilely inflicted so many systems upon society, may they finally end where they should have begun: May they reject all systems, and try liberty; for liberty is an acknowledgment of faith in God and His works. --  Frédéric Bastiat - "The Law"

   Ron Calzone
   ron@mofirst.org
   

   http://www.mofirst.org

   
    

   Please SHARE this prolifically with Missouri residents.