Missouri
| Project Home | Connerly Initiatives | Arizona |
| Colorado | Missouri | Nebraska |
| Oklahoma | Initiatives Generally | National News |
On May 4, 2008, Connerly’s MoCRI (Missouri Civil Rights Initiative) failed to turn in the signatures required in order to place the initiative on the ballot. This came about a month after the Oklahoma initiative was withdrawn due to signature problems.
The WeCAN (Working to Empower Community Action Now!) coalition - a group of faith groups, community organizations, students, Labor, and businessmen and women—led the decline to sign and voter education campaign. Their efforts prevented MoCRI from collecting the 150,000+ signatures it needed to get its measure on the November ballot.
The Secretary of State certified the official ballot title (which includes the Secretary’s ballot language statement aimed to fairly and accurately represent what a vote for or against the initiative will mean) and submitted it to the Attorney General. MoCRI, unhappy with the Secretary’s ballot language statement, challenged that statement in court. In a January 2008 decision, a circuit court judge kept some of the Secretary’s language and reworded other parts of the language.
Missouri Coalition Members
WECAN (Working to Empower Community Action Now!)
Missing Minority Campaign at University of Missouri (student-led coalition)
Missouri News and Publications
MU’s Minority Enrollment Increases – Columbia Tribune – September 5, 2008
Another Connerly Ballot Initiative Scuttled - LCCR Press Release - May 8, 2008
Leaders Vow to Bring Back Affirmative Action Petition in 2010 - St. Louis Post Dispatch - May 6, 2008
Missourians Reject Discrimination: Out-of-State Millionaire Ward Connerly's Anti-Affirmative Action Initiative Fails to Turn in Signatures - WeCanMo - May 4, 2008
Missouri Legal Challenges – ACLU – July 2007 through April 2008
Students March for Affirmative Action - the maneater - April 18, 2008
Black Students Rally at MU: Pro-Affirmative Action Protest Draws a Crowd - Columbia (MO) Tribune - April 16, 2008
Missouri Affirmative Action at Risk - The Maneater Student Newspaper (University of Missouri) - March 4, 2008
Coalition Warns About Dishonest Affirmative Action Signature Gathering in Missouri - The St. Louis American - February 6, 2008
Affirmative Action Ballot Language Unfair, Judge Rules - The Missourian (AP story) - January 7, 2008
