IMMEDIATE RELEASE

7/26/07

Contact: Tim Asher

Cell: (816) 812-4929

“This is one of the most appalling abuses of a Constitutional Office I have ever seen”

Grain Valley-Today the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative (MoCRI) filed a legal challenge to the unfair and inaccurate Official Ballot Title written by Secretary of State Carnahan and approved by Attorney General Nixon.

On July 19, the Secretary of State certified the MoCRI for the ballot but attached a false and misleading Ballot Title. Language recommended by the MoCRI Committee to the Secretary of State read,

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to prohibit any form of discrimination as an act of the state by declaring:

The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or public contracting?

The Secretary of State read it this way:

OFFICIAL BALLOT TITLE AS CERTIFIED BY SECRETARY OF STATE

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

ban affirmative action programs designed to eliminate discrimination against, and improve opportunities for, women and minorities in public contracting, employment and education; and allow preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin to meet federal program funds eligibility standards as well as preferential treatment for bona fide qualifications based on sex?

“Secretary of State Carnahan exercised tremendous liberty in drafting this language”, stated Tim Asher, Executive Director of MoCRI. “Her directive as outlined by Missouri Statute is to prepare ballot title language that is ‘true and impartial’ and ‘neither intentionally argumentative nor likely to create prejudice. Misleading statements like this ballot title are standard practice for those who support preferences and unequal treatment. They are afraid to let people vote on the true language since the people always choose fair and equal treatment” stated Asher.

Ward Connerly, Chairman of the American Civil Rights Institute, who is supporting and assisting the MoCRI, took it even further. “This is one the most appalling abuses of a Constitutional Office I have ever seen. In California, Washington, and Michigan where identical measures have already been passed by the voters, the Secretaries of State and Attorneys General did not play politics with their sworn duty to protect the voting process. I am alarmed and believe the citizens of Missouri should be worried that their duly elected officials are misleading the voters with false and unfair information” Connerly asserted.

A petition was filed today in the circuit court of Cole County legally challenging the ballot title language.

The Missouri Civil Rights Initiative Committee (MoCRI), a Missouri-based ballot initiative committee, is dedicated to providing the people of Missouri the opportunity to end discrimination and preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin by state or local governments. MoCRI will make Missouri a place of equal opportunity for all, not a state that uses discrimination as a tool to create “diversity.” Achieving “diversity” should never be an excuse to discriminate!

Related:

K.C. Blue Blog: “KKK Key Backers of Initiative On Ballot Nationwide, Including Missouri In 2008”

Power, Politics & Money: “Missouri Secretary of State Blatantly Twists Ballot Summary on Missouri Civil Rights Initiative”

Discriminations: “Outrageous Official Misconduct In Missouri”

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