JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- An anti-abortion group is accusing Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan and Auditor Susan Montee of conspiring against its proposed ballot initiatives.
The Missouri Roundtable for Life filed a federal lawsuit Thursday claiming the two Democratic officials violated its free speech rights by drafting ballot summaries that would prejudice voters against its initiatives.
A state judge in June rejected a similar conspiracy lawsuit and upheld the ballot summaries prepared by Carnahan and Montee.
The Roundtable for Life has submitted numerous versions of initiatives intended to prevent public money from funding abortions or certain kinds of human embryonic stem cell research.
Under Missouri law, the secretary of state is responsible for summarizing initiatives and the auditor determines a financial impact.
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