Opinion No. (2011)

Dec 12, 2011
Before:
Chris Koster

Dear Secretary Carnahan:

This opinion letter responds to your request dated November ‍​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍30, 2011, for our review under § 116.332, RSMo, of the sufficiency as to form of an initiative petition submitted by Theodis Brown.

We conclude that the petition must be rejected for at ‍​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍least the following reasons:

1. The petition is not in the form prescribed by § 116.040, RSMo.

2. The petition does not contain “all matter which is to be deleted included in its proper ‍​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍place enclosed in brackets and all new matter shown underlined” as required pursuant to § 116.050, RSMo.

Because of our rejection of the form of the petition for the reasons stated above, we ‍​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍have not reviewed the petition to determine if additional deficiencies exist. Pursuant to § 116.332.3, RSMo, the Secretary of State is authorized to review this opinion and “make a final decision as ‍​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‍to the approval or rejection of the form of the petition.”

Very truly yours,

CHRIS KOSTER

Attorney General