July 30, 2014 - Cosgrove Law Group issued a legal opinion on Missouri House Joint Resolution Numbers 11 & 7, which will appear on the August 5, 2014 ballot as Constitutional Amendment 1. The legal opinion reviewed the extent of the right the amendment grants farming and ranching practices, the effect of adoption of the Amendment on pre-existing law, the effect of Article IV on local government control, and the placement of this Amendment in Article 1 of the Missouri Constitution. Cosgrove Law Group’s legal opinion concluded that the Amendment, if approved, “could potentially restrict reasonable regulation relating to livestock operating practices,” “potentially bars state measures relating to farming or ranching because article IV addresses only local powers, and thus may create an inference that the amendment is not subject to state powers,” and “could have a substantial impact on existing legislation.”
Cosgrove Law Group offers such legal opinion services on proposed legislation, ballot initiatives, and other matters of public importance.