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Sponsor says HB 3000 would fix 'moving goalposts' for petition signature counts
Summary
Rep. Chad Perkins told the committee HB 3000 would anchor petition signature thresholds to the petitioners' start date rather than the submission date, preventing changes if an intervening gubernatorial election alters the required percentage; the state auditor's office testified in support.
Rep. Chad Perkins (40th District) told the Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs that House Bill 3000 would change how signature thresholds for a petition audit are calculated so the figure is fixed to the date petitioners begin the process rather than the date signatures are turned in. Perkins said the current approach allows "goalposts" to move if another gubernatorial election occurs during the petition‑gathering period.
Perkins said the bill is narrowly focused: "It's not from the time in which you turn it in but rather from the time in which you get started." He said the change ensures petitioners know the exact signature total they must meet even if an intervening election would otherwise change the percentage requirement.
Brandon Alexander, chief of staff for the state auditor, testified in support, citing a November 2023 case in the City of St. Louis where signatures submitted shortly after a general election experienced a change in the calculated threshold; Alexander said the auditor's office needs a consistent rule to tell petitioners definitively how many signatures are required.
The hearing record in the transcript contains questions and brief discussion but no committee vote on the bill. The committee concluded the hearing with the record closed on HB 3000.
Next steps: the hearing record was closed; any committee action or scheduling for a vote would follow House procedures.
