Liberal Initiatives Attack Parents and Needy Kids
In Missouri, we’re used to unhinged Liberal initiative petitions.
Two recently approved petitions are among the most extreme we’ve seen in a while.
Constitutional Amendment to Article IX, Relating to Public Education
2026-070
Petition 2026-070 was filed by Spencer Toder, a failed former candidate for US Senate who received 4.7% in the 2022 Democratic Primary.
Here’s the breakdown:
– Killing Scholarships for At-Risk Kids: Existing state programs that provide direct aid to students with disabilities and low-income families could be eliminated. These scholarships let parents choose private or specialized schools that meet their children’s unique needs, yet Toder’s plan would shut that down, trapping kids in struggling districts.
– Lawsuit Free-for-All: This new right can be enforced through court lawsuits, inviting trial lawyers and activists to drain taxpayer funds with endless legal battles that won’t improve education.
– No Alternatives Allowed: By restricting funds to public schools only, it threatens to end charter schools, homeschooling support, and any innovation beyond the government system.
The Attorney General’s Office warns of at least $427,516 in annual costs, with legal expenses potentially exceeding $1 million. Taxpayers foot the bill, while kids lose out.
Liberals like Spencer Toder aren’t interested in kids’ education; they only care about protecting teachers’ unions and trial lawyers.
Nobody who cares about a kid’s success would be trying to take away his scholarship and his family’s choice of a school that fits his needs.
Constitutional Amendment to Article IX, Relating to Public Funding for Education
2026-071
It gets worse. The second petition comes from Liberal lawyer and public school yes-man Duane Martin.
What it means:
– Limiting Parental Choice: It bans public funds for educational services at nonpublic schools.
– Ending Aid Programs: It scraps support for students with special needs, forcing them into public systems that may not serve them well.
– Blocking Private School Support: It prohibits public funds from supplementing federal aid to nonpublic schools.
– Redefining Charters: Most charter schools would be labeled nonpublic (and therefore be barred from receiving public funds), risking the closure of innovative options.
It’s pretty simple. Martin wants to eliminate competition for his clients, and he’s got no problem erasing parents in the process.
Like the Toder petition above, this one rips scholarships away from needy kids and families, all so they are forced to go to a union-controlled public school. That’s not helping families.
Missouri families who choose charter schools would also be left out in the cold.
Charter schools are public schools. They are granted independence to drive competition and innovation.
That doesn’t work for Martin’s clients.
They want to force kids into their schools and leave them with nowhere to turn if they don’t deliver results.
The vision of this petition is a Missouri where public schools face no competition, and therefore no accountability. All while Duane Martin’s pockets get bigger.
Bottom Line
It’s outrageous that Liberals are filing initiative petitions to take existing scholarships away from kids who need them.
Missouri voters overwhelmingly support parental rights in education. Any effort to “limit parental choice” should be dead on arrival.
What is the best approach for a Conservative in Missouri when approached by someone asking for a signature on an initiative petition?
Politely but firmly decline to sign.
Andy Bakker
Executive Director
Liberty Alliance USA