ST. LOUIS – In May, mascots for the Cardinals, Blues, and Royals delivered signatures supporting the legalization of sports wagering to state officials in Jefferson City. After years of debate, it appeared the issue would finally be decided by voters.
But a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the Cole County Circuit Court could keep sports wagering in Missouri off the November ballot.
Political consultants Blake Lawrence and Jacqueline Wood allege Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft used outdated congressional lines to determine how many signatures each district needed. When it came time to determine where the signees lived, the lawsuit states Ashcroft used the current district lines.
The lawsuit contends that had Ashcroft appropriately calculated the number of signatures needed in each district, Missouri’s 1st and 5th congressional districts would not have had enough signatures to get the issue on the ballot. Proposed initiative petitions need signatures from eight percent of legal voters in six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts.