A petition to amend the Missouri consitution to ban affirmative action was approved for circulation by Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan last week. The ban, proposed by the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative would affect “action programs designed to eliminate discrimination against, and improve opportunities for, women and minorities in public contracting, employment and education” in the state. It would also affect affirmative action standards relating to federal funding and qualifications based on sex.
In Missouri, a similar petition drive was unsuccessful in placing an affirmative action ban on the 2008 ballot because it failed to collect enough signatures. In the 2008 election cycle, similar measures were proposed, but were not on the ballot in Arizona and Okahoma, were defeated in Colorado, and were passed in Nebraska.
According to the News-Leader, the petitioners must gather signatures of registered voters totaling eight percent of the votes cast in the 2008 gubernatorial election by May 2, 2010.
