Ballot Amendments
November 4, 2014
From: Rep.
Glen Kolkmeyer (Mo. District 53)
Information on the 3 Ballot Amendments
and the 1 Initiative Petition on Nov. 4th Ballot
and the 1 Initiative Petition on Nov. 4th Ballot
I have
received a number of questions from my constituents about the upcoming November
4th Ballot Amendments. Here are the three (3) Amendments the Legislature
put on the ballot and the one (1) initiative petition.
· Amendment
2
o Amendment
2 would allow evidence from previous criminal acts to be heard in court for
crimes of a sexual nature involving a victim under the age of eighteen.
o Currently,
evidence from previous criminal behavior is not allowed as evidence in court.
o How
I will vote: I will be voting YES on Amendment
2. Currently, each case is treated like a first time offense.
Amendment 2 will allow evidence from previous offenses to be presented in
court. This will help stop repeat sex offenders.
· Amendment
3
o Amendment
3 is an initiative petition. An initiative petition means it has never been
touched by the General Assembly. A Missouri citizen gathered enough
signatures on a petition for the Amendment to be placed on the ballot this
November.
o Also,
it would end teacher tenure and it would require teacher testing.
o Amendment
3 would give DESE the constitutional authority to set standards to which our
local teachers will be graded and retained or dismissed.
o How
I will vote: I will be voting NO on Amendment 3 as it will take away control
from our local school boards and give more power to State Board of Education. I
am against relinquishing local control to DESE. Amendment 3 will also put
teacher testing in the Missouri Constitution. I am against DESE creating
standards for our teachers. Again, this is an initiative petition. The General
Assembly had nothing to do with placing Amendment 3 on the ballot.
· Amendment
6
o Amendment
6 would allow an early voting period of six business days prior to the general
election. The six business days include the Wednesday prior to the election,
and exclude Saturday and Sunday.
o Early
voting would only be permitted in years when the legislature provides the
funding.
o How
I will vote: I will be voting YES on Amendment 6. I
worked on this Amendment in the House Elections Committee. It allows
for no-excuse absentee voting at the Court House six business days before the
election.
· Amendment
10
o Amendment
10 would prohibit the Governor from reducing funds already appropriated by the
General Assembly without legislative consent.
o Also
provides restrictions on the Governor’s ability to increase of decrease line
items in the budget.
·
Also
prohibits the Governor from proposing a budget that relies on revenue from
legislation that has not yet been passed in the General Assembly.
· How I will vote: I will be
voting YES on Amendment 10. Governor Nixon has been withholding
funds from our public schools and habilitation centers and dispersing the money
elsewhere. This is the first Governor in states history who withheld
funding for schools before the state was short on money. Amendment
10 will increase legislative oversight on the Governors decisions. The Governor
should have to work within the previously approved budget.
Rep. Glen Kolkmeyer
53rd
Missouri Legislative District
Serving all of
Lafayette County and parts of Johnson and Jackson Counties
