Since the donation limit amendment doesn't have much organized opposition right now, there's a good chance Missourians will approve it on Nov. 8. The ballot measure also has bipartisan approval from both Democrats and Republicans.

Republican Sen. David Pearce voted to get rid of donation limits in 2008. At the time, he hoped that it would make big donations easier to track. But as Pearce prepares to leave office next year, he says voting to create the unlimited system was the worst decision of his legislative career.

"If I could take it back, I would," Pearce said. "Because it's not working. When you have folks that are giving million [dollar] checks, checks for a half-million dollars, $250,000 checks, $100,000 checks – I think it pollutes the system."

But some of Pearce's GOP colleagues have a less magnanimous opinion of the proposal. For one thing, it doesn't place any curbs on independent political action committees.

Some, like Republican state Senate candidate Bill Eigel, fear that if Missouri adopts contribution limits, the state's campaign finance system will look a lot like the federal system – and that's not meant as a compliment.

"Because the same amount of money is finding its way into our campaigns at the federal level," Eigel said. "And the same amount of cynicism and negativity still exists as a result of that money that's going into federal campaigns. But what's happened at the federal level, instead of what's being given to candidates where they can report it and there's transparency – it's funneled into superPACs."

Even if Missourians approve the amendment, both detractors and supporters believe there will be a legal challenge. Among other things, opponents object to how the amendment would bar certain types of companies from donating to political action committees.

Divide in governor's race

Meanwhile, both of Missouri's gubernatorial hopefuls – Republican Eric Greitens and Democrat Chris Koster – have different philosophical approaches to donation limits.

Greitens said earlier this year he opposes contributions curbs – adding that he doesn't feel that huge contributions he's received inhibits his ability to govern.

"I'm completely new to politics," Greitens said. "This is my first time in. But what I've found is the most important thing is that there's transparency around the money."

It's clear that regular people in the state feel increasingly disconnected from their political system.

Chris Koster, Democratic candidate for governor

For at least part of the campaign, Koster agreed with Greitens. He voted to get rid of donation limits in 2008 when he was a Democratic state senator. And throughout the years, he's collected big donations from labor unions and some wealthy businessmen.

Although he doesn't plan to unilaterally take smaller donations, Koster threw his support behind contribution limits earlier this summer. He says he's troubled by the size of donations – and how candidates under a system with no contribution limits still find ways to hide sources of donations. Greitens recently received a nearly $2 million donation from a group called SEALs for Truth. When campaign disclosure reports came out earlier this week, it was revealed that the donor for SEALs for Truth was a nondescript nonprofit called the American Policy Coalition, Inc.

"What we do know is that transparency is not occurring," Koster said. "The contributions have gotten massively larger – and they are still hidden. It's clear that regular people in the state feel increasingly disconnected from their political system. And it seems to me that this can't go on – or shouldn't go on at least."

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