What you need to know: Missouri Constitutional Amendment No. 6 (Court Fees)

By John Sharp

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that the administration of justice shall include the levying of costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for certain current and former law enforcement personnel?

State and local governmental entities estimate an unknown fiscal impact.

If ratified by Missouri voters, proposed Constitutional Amendment 6 could result in much higher court costs for all litigants, although that is not clear by the ballot language for the proposal that was put on the ballot by the Missouri General Assembly.

This language does not clarify that these are court costs and fees, nor does it make clear that the General Assembly will have the authority to set these fees without any limits.

The actual language of the legislation that authorized putting this measure on the ballot states that the costs and fees will support current and former circuit attorneys, prosecuting attorneys and sheriffs. These roles are not spelled out in the ballot language, which may give voters the mistaken impression the costs and fees can be used for the salaries of deputy sheriffs and police officers, which likely would have broader support.

Voting Yes

The Constitution will be amended to allow the General Assembly to set court fees which will be used to support salaries and benefits for current and former circuit attorneys, prosecuting attorneys and sheriffs.

Voting No

No change to the Constitution and no new court fees.