The proposed ballot question would ask voters whether to shrink Missouri House by 60 members

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3)—Missouri lawmakers will consider a ballot question to reduce the size of the 163-member House of Representatives and relax the state’s term limits for both chambers.

The joint resolution, filed by Warrenton Republican Rep. Jeff Myers, would allow members to serve a total of 16 years in any combination of House and Senate offices. Currently, members are limited to eight years in each respective chamber.

Myers said the current limits don’t allow members very much time to build up and then benefit from the institutional knowledge gained in their first couple of sessions. Meanwhile, lobbyists are obviously not term-limited.

“Because of term limits and the quick turnaround of eight years, you basically empower the special interests and the bureaucracy,” Myers said. “When it comes to the special interests, you have some folks that have lobbied for 20 - 30 years now and they’ve seen many people come and go.”

The other major part of Myers’ resolution would reduce the size of the House of Representatives from 163 members to 103.

Missouri currently has the fourth-largest legislature in the U.S., following only New Hampshire, Pennsylvania,, and Georgia. Still, its size also gives Missouri with a more potent representation than many other states.

Overall, each Missouri legislator represents 37,793 constituents in both chambers, while the national average is 61,169 constituents per legislator.

The provisions in Myers’ amendment would take effect after the 2030 census, ensuring access to more current data and ensuring that no current member would take a vote that ultimately affects their political future.

The downsizing would involve completely redrawing Missouri House districts, allowing each one to be contained entirely within a single Senate district. Supporters believe this would improve constituent communication and the organization of both chambers.

Still, a reduced House membership also means each voter would have relatively less influence, and their individual representation would be diluted, particularly in wide-ranging rural districts.

Versions of this resolution filed in previous years cited annual savings of more than $9.6 million once the amendment is implemented.

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