Volunteers in the Clean Missouri Initiative recently submitted nearly 347,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office – more than double the amount needed to get their issues on a statewide ballot in November.

The initiative’s goal is to rid the state of corruption by giving voters the power to decide on limits to campaign contributions, and institute a gift ban – preventing lobbyists from spending more than $5 on any single gift for an elected official. The Rev. Cassandra Gould, senior pastor at Quinn Chapel AME Church in Jefferson City, also is director of Missouri Faith Voices, which has rounded up volunteers to help gather signatures. She said money has too much influence in the legislative process.

“Often times, money is put over people,” Gould said. “And so I believe that this is an opportunity for a moral correction of the processes that go on now.”

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