(LISTEN): Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) appears on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”

Missouri’s powerful Senate President Pro Tem is calling on the House to pass the Senate version of legislation that would change the threshold of approving constitutional amendments. The GOP-controlled Missouri House and the GOP-controlled Missouri Senate have essentially been at an impasse over one of their top priorities, which they describe as initiative petition reform. The House on Thursday approved legislation calling on the Senate to pass the bill’s House version, which would also ask voters to ban non-citizens from voting and language involving foreign entities. The Missouri Senate’s nine Democrats conducted a 50-hour filibuster over those provisions this week. Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) joined us live on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” this morning, and he called on the House to approve the Senate version of the bill. Pro Tem Rowden notes there are eight hours left in the session, which ends at 6 pm. He tells listeners that the Senate can’t accomplish in eight hours what they couldn’t get done in 50. Senator Rowden says the key element in the Senate bill requires future proposed constitutional amendments to be approved by voters statewide and in five of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. The House bill also has that, along with the other two provisions. Rowden says rural Missouri needs a louder voice. Senator Rowden was candid during the interview, telling listeners that “ballot candy” isn’t needed and that Missourians don’t need to be tricked. He specifically addressed the issue of illegal immigrants voting in the future. Missouri’s constitution requires voters to be citizens. Senator Rowden tells listeners that if St. Louis potentially wanted to let illegal immigrants vote, there’s nothing in the House version of the bill that addresses local elections. He says it only addresses statewide elections: