Chastain Takes Light Rail To Mo. Supreme Court

Kansas City, MO – Light rail activist Clay Chastain won't be back in Kansas City shopping centers circulating petitions this summer, but it doesn't mean he's giving up.

Chastain announced Wednesday that he is appealing his lawsuit to overturn the city council's repeal of his light rail plan that voters approved to the state Supreme Court.

"If that court does not rule in our favor, then we'll refire these petition drives - the one for light rail and the one for the charter change-- refire them in 2010 and put them on the November ballot," he said.

Chastain maintains that it is unconstitutional in Missouri for a legislative body to change the results of a public election. An appeals court ruled that the Missouri constitution does not address local initiative elections.

The activist says he first asked for an opportunity to work with the council to come up with a workable new transit plan. But he says he was told that his insistence on the council endorsing repeal of the section of the city charter that gave them the power to repeal a voter initiative was the "deal killer."