NAACP’s John Bowman mobilizes communities after lawmakers override voters on key issues like abortion rights and minimum wage.
Advocating for justice has always been important to me. Over my nearly 30 years in public service, I’ve witnessed much, both right and wrong. Just a few days ago, in a room filled with colleagues and individuals who genuinely care about the people’s concerns, I observed yet another injustice taking place.
The people of Missouri had already spoken loud and clear. In November 2024, Amendment 3 (the amendment that rolled back the abortion ban and restored reproductive rights for Missouri’s women) and Prop A (a voter initiative that required employers to provide earned sick leave and raise the state’s minimum wage for every Missourian) were approved by the voters.
I’ll stipulate that it was by a narrow margin, but approved, nonetheless.
While differing opinions don’t typically unseat me or my colleagues, witnessing the latest dismissal of the Missouri electorate’s decisions was troubling. Once again, the people expressed their views through votes on important issues, only for those in power to ignore the voters’ voices. I watched Missouri Republicans, my colleagues, strategically use loopholes to overturn the will and decisions of the voters, the same people they are responsible for representing, simply because they disagreed with the results of our free and fair elections.
And here I was, on May 14, 2025, less than a year later, seated among a group of my peers, waiting to see if they would honor what had already been decided. I found out, along with everyone else in the room, that they had not. A free and fair election, its results, and the voters’ wants had been walked back.
The will of the people had been compromised.
As a public servant, husband, father, grandfather, and sitting president of NAACP, St. Louis County, I understood that the will of the people needed to be maintained.
So, I decided to do what I know to do when opposition arises to undermine what is fair, right, and just—and for lack of a better term—blatant, in-your-face voter suppression: I chose to fight back. I decided to regroup in the face of my disappointment with our legislature, reposition myself to restart discussions, and mobilize the people.
We cannot simply accept House Joint Resolution 73 (the alternative to Amendment 3), which jeopardizes the reproductive rights of women in Missouri, nor House Bill 567 (the alternative to Prop A), which removes discussions of future minimum wage increases and earned sick leave.
We cannot back down and accept the silent but loud actions of my Republican partners. As a people, as Americans, as Missourians, we cannot sit back and let free and fair election outcomes be overturned so easily.
Missourians worked diligently to get both of these issues on the ballot, and I was on the front lines in 2023 and 2024, raising awareness about Amendment 3 and Prop A. I gathered informational materials alongside our community partners to distribute to Missourians and listened to both sides of these issues at the table.
Talking to women who want nothing more than access to fair reproductive services, listening to their thoughts and opinions, and hearing supporters of the abortion ban discuss the right to life. I experienced both sides of the argument surrounding Missouri wage compensation, the needs
of the people, the responsibilities of companies, as well as the implications of wage increases for their bottom line.
In the end, regardless of individual thoughts and opinions, as public servants, we must respect the free will choices of the people.
This across-the-aisle fighting using sneaky tricks must come to an end. When will the voices of the people be honored among my right-wing friends?
I want to propose a solution that ensures fair and equitable elections and that their results are honored. It’s simple: hold elections, count the ballots, and respect the outcomes on both sides. That’s it. There’s no need for backroom politics. Just honor the vote.
Grassroots efforts have already begun, and the will of the people must be protected. John Bowman is the current president of NAACP St. Louis County, a member of the NAACP Missouri State Conference, UAW Senior Business Regional Director, a public servant, and an awarded humanitarian.
#DemocracyMatters #ProtectTheVote #MissouriVotes
