You may bump into members of the Nodaway County Democrats who discuss one of the several ballot initiatives we are supporting. Here’s a short summary of each petition, prepared by political action committee, Government by the People.
Summary:
Twenty-four states give citizens the power to propose and pass laws and amendments to state constitutions directly, without the involvement or approval of the state legislature or governor. This video summarizes each ballot initiative:
Four ballot initiatives to reform our elections:
- Proportional representation in the General Assembly. The most significant reform we can make to our political system is to replace the current system (“winner-take-all from single-member districts) with an ordered-list form of proportional representation — which provides for each party (or political faction) to be represented in a legislature in proportion to the percentage of the vote won by that party or faction.
2. At-large election of Missouri’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives, also using an “ordered list form of proportional representation, which eliminates gerrymandering and shifts the focus of our elections to a serious discussion of the issues. Experience in the 94 countries that have some form of proportional representation has clearly demonstrated that it results in the election of governments that are more genuinely representative of the will of the people.
3. A public financing option for candidates would provide matching funds to candidates who voluntarily agree to raise at least 50% of the funding for their campaign from contributions totaling no more than $100 per contributor; not to accept contributions of more than $1,000; and to accept no contributions from corporations, or PACs that accept corporate contributions.
4. A proposal to use rank-choice voting in elections for state-wide offices (U.S., Senator, Governor, etc.). RCV allows voters to vote for multiple candidates, ranking their choices in order of preference. With RCV there are no “wasted votes” and “spoiler candidates.”
Two initiatives to address urgent problems:
- A Green New Deal will modernize our infrastructure, incorporating clean, renewable energy and create tens of thousands of socially useful, good-paying jobs throughout Missouri in the process.
2. A market-oriented pubic option for health insurance. The Missouri Health Insurance Cooperative (MHIC) would be formed to offer a truly affordable, revenue-neutral plan with both premiums and out-of-pocket maximums based on percentages of a member’s income. Members would be free to see any health care provider for preventative and medically necessary care, pay the provider directly, and be reimbursed for expenses that exceed the out-of-pocket maximum.
On initiative to protect the others:
- An amendment to the Missouri Constitution requiring that if the General Assembly repeals or amends a law passed through the initiative, that repeal or amendment will not take effect unless and until it is also approved by voters.
–> These amendments cannot be signed online
Our petitions are legal documents. Signatures must be witnessed by the person circulating the petition. Please come to our meeting or our events to sign your name!
The following is a letter to the editor of the 
Nodaway County Democrats 