Missouri Officials to Appeal Ruling on Missouri Voter ID Law
A Missouri judge recently affirmed the constitutionality of the Missouri’s voter ID law while also striking down a provision requiring a voter lacking a photo ID to sign a sworn affidavit. The decision led both the Secretary of State and the Attorney General to announce they will appeal the ruling in an attempt to overturn it.
It was in 2016 that the Missouri General Assembly approved two measures designed to require a valid form of photo identification in order to vote. One was a proposed constitutional amendment that went on the November ballot and was then approved by more than 63 percent of Missouri voters, and the other was a statutory change that was signed into law by the governor. The two measures put the voter ID requirement into effect on June 1, 2017.
The judge ruled the voter ID law was within the General Assembly’s constitutional prerogative under the Missouri Constitution, but determined the section requiring a sworn affidavit for individuals who don’t have the proper photo ID was contradictory and misleading. The judge also ruled that the state cannot advertise that a photo ID is required to vote.
In response to the ruling, the Missouri Secretary of State announced he will seek to have the ruling put on hold while he appeals to a higher court. In a statement, he said, “Although our office does not agree with all of the judge’s findings, we’re pleased the court found that the voter ID law is constitutional, and the judge did not find anyone was prevented from voting. We plan to seek a stay and appeal the decision to a higher court, which we believe will overturn the judge’s errors.”
New Budget Explorer Site Provides Missourians with Detailed Look at the State Budget
Missourians interested in learning more about how their tax dollars are utilized in the state budget can access a new website recently unveiled by the Missouri Office of Administration.
The new website, budgetexplorer.mo.gov, is designed to give users a comprehensive look at the state budget, as well as links to more detailed information.
The Missouri Budget Explorer website was created to give the public a simple, one-stop resource that contains everything they need to know about the state budget. Through the site, Missourians can explore the details of the budget and the sources of the state’s revenues. The site will allow visitors to see how the state allocates funds among the 16 executive departments, the elected officials, the legislature, and the judiciary.
The website utilizes infographics to help make the budget information more easily understandable for the public. The site is meant to give the public not only a better understanding of the state budgeting process, but also a better understanding of the role of each state department and the services they provide.
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