Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District / Nov 25, 2025
Charles Lane, Appellant, v. City of St. Louis, Respondent.
Charles Lane challenged the validity of a City of St. Louis Charter amendment that created a Charter Commission, arguing it violated Article VI, Section 32(a) of the Missouri Constitution by allowing the Commission to bypass the city's lawmaking body in submitting charter amendments to voters. The circuit court granted judgment on the pleadings for the City, finding the amendment valid. The appellate court affirmed, holding that the Charter Amendment, when read in its entirety, provides that the Charter Commission frames proposals, but the Board of Alderman ultimately submits them to the voters, thereby complying with the Missouri Constitution.