Missouri Senate debates curbing direct democracy amid campaign for abortion rights vote

Missouri Senate is debating a plan to roll back direct democracy by making the votes of rural residents more powerful than urban residents when it comes to amending the state constitution.

The proposal would require amendments to also receive a majority vote in at least five of the state’s eight congressional districts.

A coalition of rural congressional districts would have effective veto control over amendments, no matter how popular a measure might enjoy in Kansas City or St. Louis .

Democrats immediately launched a filibuster of the proposal, blocking an initial vote late Monday evening .

The Freedom Caucus has touted the legislation as its No. 1 priority this year .

Missouri Republicans have included what critics describe as deceptive language in the proposal.

It would ask voters to ban foreign interference in ballot measures and limit voting on citizen-led petitions to U.S. citizens.

Several GOP -led states, including Ohio and South Dakota , have pushed to raise the threshold.