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354:. In reaction to this, reformers used the initiative to call for a sixth constitutional convention, and the initiative was passed by the voters in 1942. The voters ratified the new constitution in 1945. The Constitution of 1945 remains Missouri's current constitution. Since 1945, there have been at least 119 amendments made to the Constitution. In recent years, some of these have been both controversial and high-profile, such as legalizing
485:
321:. They provided elections to a new constitutional convention, which was elected in November 1864 and met in January of 1865, and passed a second Missouri state constitution that abolished slavery, ratified on June 6, 1865. This second constitution was known as the "Draconian Constitution" due to its loyalty oath provisions, which were struck down by the US Supreme Court in
291:, Missouri was initially admitted to the Union as a slave state, and the constitution specifically excluded "free negroes and mulattoes" from the state. This "exclusion clause" initially forestalled the US Congress admitting Missouri to the union, but was chosen to be interpreted in a deliberately vague manner as
342:
The state's fifth constitutional convention was held from 1922 to 1923. This convention proposed a slate of twenty-one amendments instead of a new constitution. The delegates assembled in
Jefferson City from May 15, 1922 to November 6, 1923. The ballot form permitted a separate vote on each amendment
389:
According to
Article XII of the present constitution, the people of Missouri are given the option to call a new constitutional convention every 20 years through an automatic referendum that appears on that year's ballot. This has been voted on in 1962, 1982, 2002, 2022, and will be voted on again in
330:
The fourth constitutional convention was held in 1875, which drafted the state's third constitution. The convention met from May 5 to August 2, and the resulting constitution provided for, among other things,
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We, the people of
Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness, do establish this Constitution for the better government of the state.
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with a simple majority allowing adoption. Seven of the 21 amendments were adopted. The election details are available in the 1925-1926 Official Manual of
Missouri.
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The first constitution was written by
Constitutional Convention in 1820 in only 38 days, and was adopted on July 19, 1820. One of the results of the
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was elected to decide on secession. They chose against secession, and did not produce a new constitution. Instead, they operated as the
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for
African-American children. In the early 1900s, the Constitution of 1875 was amended to allow constitutional amendment by the
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753:"Results: Missouri Constitutional Convention Question, Voters decide against a state constitutional convention"
295:. This constitution took effect the day Missouri joined the union as the twenty-fourth state, August 10, 1821.
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239:, and the people. The fourth and current Missouri Constitution was adopted in 1945. It provides for three
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The 1945 constitution starts with a preamble that was also used in the 1875 constitution. It reads:
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in 2008. On
November 6, 2018, a constitutional amendment was passed that legalized and regulated
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712:"Constitution - State of Missouri and Constitution of the United States - Revised January 2021"
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In the early 20th century, Missouri was dominated by corrupt political "bosses", such as
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The remainder of the constitution consists of fourteen articles as of 2018.
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The second convention in 1845 produced a constitution rejected by voters.
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allowing the production of human embryos for stem cell research
317:
and other politicians that supported the
Confederacy fled from
640:"MISSOURI STATE ARCHIVES - Missouri Constitutions, 1820-1945"
327:(1867). This constitution remained in effect for ten years.
32:
Location of the state of
Missouri within the United States
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611:"Law Matters: A Celebration of Two Constitutions"
521:Missouri Constitutional Convention of 1861–1863
313:pro-Union government of Missouri when Governor
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8:
806:Constitution of the State of Missouri (1945)
686:Missouri Digital Heritage Hosted Collections
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21:1945 Constitution of the State of Missouri
779:"A look at Missouri's first constitution"
1190:State constitutions of the United States
228:. It is the supreme law formulating the
682:"1925-1926 Official Manual of Missouri"
670:. State Historical Society of Missouri.
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452:Article XII - Amending the Constitution
422:Article II - The Distribution of Powers
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732:from the original on 20 February 2020
538:Missouri Constitution on the Internet
440:Article VIII - Suffrage and Elections
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425:Article III - Legislative Department
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550:Missouri Constitution in PDF Form
428:Article IV - Executive Department
777:Gerber, Cameron (19 July 2020).
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455:Article XIII - Public Employees
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499:Law and government of Missouri
458:Article XIV - Medical Cannabis
230:law and government of Missouri
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555:The State of Missouri Website
437:Article VII - Public Officers
434:Article VI - Local Government
399:Articles of the Constitution
70:September 28, 1944
644:cdm16795.contentdm.oclc.org
613:. Supreme Court of Missouri
87:February 27, 1945
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751:Mitchell, Taiyler Simone.
370:(an amendment prohibiting
61:United States Constitution
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504:Missouri General Assembly
449:Article XI - Corporations
265:Supreme Court of Missouri
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149:Supreme Court of Missouri
121:Missouri General Assembly
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574:"Missouri Constitution"
443:Article IX - Education
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376:English-only amendment
241:branches of government
232:, subject only to the
664:Loeb, Isidor (1920).
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315:Claiborne Fox Jackson
293:a "second" compromise
211:Missouri Constitution
145:Judiciary of Missouri
509:Governor of Missouri
477:United States portal
446:Article X - Taxation
384:Cannabis in Missouri
324:Cummings v. Missouri
257:Governor of Missouri
133:Governor of Missouri
99:Government structure
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543:8 June 2016 at the
356:commercial gambling
289:Missouri Compromise
267:). It also sets up
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303:American Civil War
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982:Mississippi
897:Connecticut
762:14 February
578:Ballotpedia
352:Kansas City
301:During the
245:legislative
1179:Categories
1097:Washington
1017:New Mexico
1012:New Jersey
887:California
813:Wikisource
561:References
374:), and an
337:initiative
200:Supersedes
184:Wikisource
161:Amendments
119:Bicameral
91:1945-02-27
74:1944-09-28
1107:Wisconsin
1072:Tennessee
977:Minnesota
952:Louisiana
617:10 August
358:in 1993,
339:process.
253:executive
192:Author(s)
140:Judiciary
128:Executive
1092:Virginia
1042:Oklahoma
1022:New York
997:Nebraska
987:Missouri
972:Michigan
962:Maryland
947:Kentucky
927:Illinois
902:Delaware
892:Colorado
882:Arkansas
727:Archived
541:Archived
463:See also
394:Articles
311:de facto
273:counties
261:judicial
226:Missouri
170:Citation
115:Chambers
105:Branches
83:Ratified
47:Missouri
38:Overview
1112:Wyoming
1087:Vermont
992:Montana
932:Indiana
912:Georgia
907:Florida
877:Arizona
867:Alabama
692:3 March
283:History
259:), and
234:federal
217:of the
213:is the
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1002:Nevada
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872:Alaska
860:States
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957:Maine
922:Idaho
788:3 May
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382:(see
263:(the
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