Your Letters for Sept. 5, 2025

Gov. Kehoe doesn't trust Missouri citizens

Governor Mike Kehoe does not trust Missouri citizens to do the right thing.

Kehoe has called a special session of the legislature and to make it nearly impossible for citizens to make state laws using the initiative petition process. The law he says will stop "out of state special interests who deceive voters to pass out-of-touch policies." He is referring to initiatives such as paid sick leave for all workers, and abortion rights. Kehoe has already signed a bill to eliminate paid sick leave and the legislature is working hard to overturn abortion rights that a majority of voters approved.

You can believe the governor if you wish, but he and most Republican legislators hate initiative petitions because Republicans help pass them. Democrats make up about 40% of the electorate thus Republicans provide1 5% of yes votes to pass the law. Republicans, like all citizens, know how they want the state to be run and when they go into the voting booth to vote on a single issue, they are free to vote their conscience, not the party line.

As most of us already know, Kehoe wants to redistrict the Kansas City area to eliminate a Democratic Congressman from the House of Representatives. This idea is an unethical proposal from Donald Trump. One would assume however, that a watch-dog governor like Kehoe would recognize this as an out-of-touch idea promoted by special interests from outside the state.

Keith Evans
St. Joseph

Liberty and justice for all

Americans across races, backgrounds, and parties value our freedoms. But this MAGA regime of bullies for billionaires is turning our government into a weapon against our people so they can seize more power. They believe if they can spread lies about our communities, they can attack anyone who does not look, live or love like them. In other words, Trump and the billionaires backing him are attempting a hostile takeover of our government.

This is why families are joining together to Free America and demand our leaders stop this assault on our freedoms, our families, and our futures. We must all work to bring our country back to a place of liberty and justice for all, no exceptions.

Ellen Wentz
Kirkwood, Missouri

Contact your state officials

The League of Women Voters of Northwest Missouri, along with the Leagues in Missouri, Texas, and California, as well as the ​United States League, firmly opposes any mid-cycle redistricting, and particularly as now proposed by Governor Kehoe in Missouri.

Mid-cycle redistricting has the sole purpose of partisan gerrymandering, with the exception of correcting unfair districting as directed by the courts. Partisan gerrymandering is currently legal according to the Supreme Court, but it is not ethical governing behavior. The federal government requires that districts have nearly equal populations, be competitive, and not discriminate based on race or ethnicity. The Missouri Constitution says that districts shall be drawn on the basis of one person, one vote, and be done once every 10 years AFTER the national census.

The redistricting plan proposed by Gov. Kehoe would split Kansas City and add 12 rural counties to dilute the voting power of urban residents. Gov. Kehoe's new map disregards federal and state requirements to keep cultural and economic communities intact. Combining parts of Kansas City with much larger rural areas reduces the influence of both the city and the rural residents. This is partisan manipulation of the process, and should be banned for any political party to game the system to their advantage.

The Governor is calling this special session to also pass restrictions on the initiative petition process that would basically eliminate the voice of the people. He proposes a plan that would require both a statewide majority AND a majority vote in ALL of the state's eight congressional districts in order to approve a constitutional amendment. This is compared to our current system, which requires a simple majority for passage. An analysis by The Missouri Independent last year found that as few as 23% of voters could defeat a statewide ballot measure requiring a concurrent majority in just five of eight districts. Requiring a majority in all eight districts will make it virtually impossible to pass an initiative petition and would effectively silence the voice of the people. The League of Women Voters of Northwest Missouri joins with the Missouri league in strongly opposing this proposed change to the Initiative Petition process.

Please contact your elected state officials and tell them to oppose these efforts to redistrict and change the initiative petition in Missouri.

Michelle Mears | Past-President, League of Women Voters of Northwest Missouri
St. Joseph