Our Opinion: Discouraging trend threatens representative government

Issues on Tuesday's ballot are evidence of a discouraging trend - lawmakers increasingly are putting politics above policy-making.

Beginning on Monday in this forum - when we began addressing proposed Missouri constitutional amendments to be decided Tuesday - we predicated our analysis on two themes.

We wrote: "First, we believe a constitution - federal or state - is a framework for government, not a policy manual or regulations handbook. As a blueprint, a constitution should be amended infrequently and only when necessary.

"Second, the increasing abundance of constitutional amendments being placed before voters is evidence lawmakers are not doing their jobs. Proposed amendments too often are motivated by politics - to attract decidedly conservative or liberal voters to the polls - or to avoid the criticism that comes with taking a stand on a controversial issue."

Because Republicans now hold majorities in both chambers of the Missouri Legislature, some of the amendments to be decided Tuesday largely are designed to attract conservative voters.

Among them are enhancements or protections for farming, the right to bear arms, military veterans and personal privacy.

In principle, we support each of these concepts. In separate editorials, we have opposed these specific proposals as unnecessary, redundant and/or potentially harmful.

Under our system of representative government, we elect lawmakers to represent constituents' interests as they discuss, debate and decide issues.

Too often, lawmakers aren't doing their jobs - evidenced by the quantity and quality of laws and amendments being booted from the Capitol corridors to the election ballot.

This is a dangerous trend.

If it continues, lawmakers will put themselves out of business because a state constitution bloated with policies and procedures will require a vote of the people to add, amend or rescind any action.

And, at that point, representative government will cease to exist.

Don't let this happen. As a constituent, you have the power to require representation or vote for a replacement who will provide it.