Bill > SB2572

This bill revises Mississippi's initiative measure process by fundamentally changing how citizens can propose new laws. The legislation removes the ability for citizens to directly amend the state constitution, reserving that power exclusively for the legislature, while preserving the right of qualified electors to propose and vote on new laws through initiative measures. Key provisions include requiring initiative measures to have a single subject, mandating a fiscal analysis by the chief legislative budget officer, establishing more stringent requirements for petition circulators (including being a certified notary public), and limiting the number of initiative proposals on a single ballot to two. The bill also introduces additional procedural safeguards, such as requiring petition circulators to register and complete a training course, adding driver's license numbers to petition signature forms, and imposing penalties for fraudulent petition signatures. Furthermore, the legislation modifies the review and approval process, giving the legislature the ability to adopt or amend initiatives with a two-thirds vote, and setting a five-year waiting period before resubmitting a rejected initiative measure. These changes aim to provide more oversight and integrity to Mississippi's initiative process while maintaining citizens' ability to directly participate in lawmaking.

Government Affairs

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2025/pdf/history/SB/SB2572.xml