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Supreme Court refuses transfer on RYH4K petition case

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Supreme Court has refused to hear Secretary of State Jason Kander’s motion to transfer a case involving the Early Childhood Education and Health Amendment initiative petition to their court.

Kander filed for the state’s highest court to rehear the dispute over the language of the IP’s summary statement around 4 o’clock Tuesday, but the Court had a deadline set for July 13 to both take up the case and rule on it. Evidently, the court has decided not to take up the case.

This decision by the court could potentially see Raise Your Hands for Kids’ initiative petition, which would raise cigarette and tobacco taxes to fund early childhood education, off the ballot as the Western District Court of Appeals found the original language in the summary statement unfair and inaccurate. As such, the 330,000-plus signatures gathered to approve the petition may be declared void.

Kander’s office said yesterday when he filed the motion for a transfer that the IP could be in jeopardy.