Missouri voters have spoken — loudly and clearly. They voted to protect abortion rights. They voted for paid sick leave. They voted to expand Medicaid. And their elected legislators have worked to undo, repeal, or block every single one of those decisions.

Now, those same legislators want to change the rules of democracy itself to make sure voters can't overrule them again.

The Missouri legislature has placed a measure on the November ballot that would require citizen-sponsored amendments to win in each of the state's eight congressional districts — not just statewide. That means an initiative could win 95 percent of the vote across Missouri and still be struck down if it falls short in a single district. At the same time, amendments placed on the ballot by the legislature would still need only a simple majority to pass. One standard for the people. A different, easier standard for the politicians.

This isn't a reform. It's a rewrite — designed to protect lawmakers from the voters they're supposed to serve.

When 58 percent of Missouri voters approved paid sick leave, the legislature repealed it. When 52 percent voted to establish a right to abortion, the legislature moved to reverse it. In a state where gerrymandering has made it nearly impossible to vote incumbents out, citizen initiatives are often the only tool ordinary people have to make their voices heard. This proposal would take that tool away.

We are calling on the Missouri General Assembly and Governor Mike Kehoe to reject any measure that raises the bar for citizen initiatives beyond a simple majority, and to stop placing counter-initiatives on the ballot designed to undo what voters have already decided. Respect the vote. Respect the people.