NAACP Springfield Archives

Southwest Missouri’s Drury University will host a virtual forum Wednesday evening about Amendment Three, which will appear on your November ballot. The issue has been a controversial one at the Statehouse in Jefferson City.

Tonight’s one-hour forum begins at 6, and you’ll be able to watch it live on this link. The event is being hosted by Drury University’s L.E. Meador Center for Politics and Citizenship. Drury is located in Springfield.

Missouri voters approved “Clean Missouri” in November 2018. It had several provisions, including one requiring a nonpartisan demographer to draw state legislative districts.

Amendment Three would roll back the provision involving redistricting, transferring the responsibility of drawing the districts from the demographer to a governor-appointed bipartisan commission.

During tonight’s forum, State Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, and “No On 3” director Sean Soendker-Nickolson will be speaking via zoom. Senator Hegeman sponsored the legislation to place Amendment Three on the ballot. Soendker-Nickolson led the effort for Clean Missouri in 2018 and directs “No One 3” now.

Drury University spokesman Mike Brothers tells Missourinet that the forum will also include questions submitted by the public. Dr. Dan Ponder, the Meador Center director, will serve as moderator.

The League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri, NAACP Springfield and Missouri State University’s public affairs office are also partnering with Drury for tonight’s forum.

Amendment Three has been a key issue in Missouri’s heated gubernatorial race, and was discussed by both major candidates at Friday’s debate in Columbia.

Governor Mike Parson (R) opposed Clean Missouri and supports Amendment Three.

“None of the big money behind this ever talked about how the redistricting would work, they talked about everything but that (in 2018),” Parson said Friday. “This is a major shift in how we do elections in the state of Missouri.”

Democratic State Auditor and gubernatorial nominee Nicole Galloway disagrees. She supported Clean Missouri in 2018 and opposes Amendment Three.

“In November of 2018, over 60 percent of voters said they want a fair, transparent government and they wanted to get rid of gerrymandering,” Galloway said at Friday’s debate.