Constitutional amendments primer
Vote art
Missourians will decide on four amendments to the state constitution in the Aug. 4 primary election. Summaries of the proposed amendments are below with the ballot language, what a “yes” and “no” vote means on each, and additional background information.
AMENDMENT 1
Shall Missouri continue for 10 years the one-tenth of one percent sales/use tax that is used for soil and water conservation and for state parks and historic sites, and resubmit this tax to the voters for approval in 10 years?
The measure allows continued collection of the existing sales and use tax, which generates revenue of approximately $140 million annually.
YES vote
A “yes” vote is to renew the existing 0.1% sales and use tax for 10 years.
NO vote
A “no” vote is to allow the 0.1% sales and use tax to expire in 2028.
Background
The tax has been in place since the 1980s and must be reapproved every 10 years. In 2016, it passed with 80 percent of the vote. The revenue helps pay for upkeep of trails and facilities at state parks and historic sites, making up about 75 percent of the state parks division’s budget. The revenue also funds soil and water conservation measures through the Department of Natural Resources.
AMENDMENT 2
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
- require all charter counties, including Jackson County, to provide for the election of a county assessor; and
- require assessors in all charter counties to comply with any training requirements established by general law
State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.
YES vote
A “yes” vote is to change Jackson County from having the option of an appointed county assessor to being required to have an elected county assessor.
NO vote
A “no” vote is to continue to allow Jackson County to choose between electing an assessor or having the assessor be appointed by the county executive.
Background
A 2010 constitutional amendment required all other charter counties in the state to elect county assessors, but not Jackson County. After public outcry about increases in property assessments, Jackson County voters already approved a measure in November to switch to an elected assessor with 88 percent of the vote.
AMENDMENT 4
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
- Modify current requirements that a statewide majority of voters may approve initiative petitions to amend the constitution;
- Require a majority of voters in each congressional district to approve initiative petitions to amend the constitution; and
- Make available to each voter the full text of initiative petitions with their ballot?
The Department of Corrections estimates increased annual costs of up to $21,817. The Office of State Public Defender estimates an unknown fiscal impact. Other state governmental entities estimate no costs or savings. Local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.
YES vote
A “yes” vote is to change the constitution to require voters in each congressional district to approve citizen-initiated constitutional amendments, rather than a simple majority of all voters in the state. The proposal would also add penalties for “foreign nationals” and “foreign adversaries” that spend money to support or oppose ballot measures and penalties for fraudulent signatures on initiative petitions.
NO vote
A “no” vote is to keep the current system which requires a statewide majority for citizen-initiated constitutional amendments and the current penalties for the above.
Background
The proposal was added to the ballot by the state legislature. Legislators who support the amendment are seeking to make it more difficult for citizen-initiated amendments to pass because they say too many are being proposed and approved by voters, bypassing the legislature. If passed, a majority of voters in each of the state’s eight congressional districts would have to approve a citizen-initiated amendment for passage. Opponents of the amendment say that takes away too much power from the majority as only 5 percent of voters could oppose a proposal and still stop it from passing.
AMENDMENT 5
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
- Require legislative phase-out of the individual state income tax based on revenue growth, and authorize the expansion of sales and use taxes;
- Curtail constitutional limits on taxing goods and services; and
- Require local tax rate cuts without reducing school funding if local sales tax revenue increases?
The proposal has no direct impact on state or local tax revenue. If passed, implementing legislation will have an unknown impact to state and local tax revenue. If implemented, state government entities expect a reduction of $57,000 annually in income tax check-off donations and implementation costs of at least $100,000.
YES vote
A “yes” vote is to gradually reduce and eliminate the state income tax. The amendment would also require local governments to reduce personal property and other local taxes when local revenues increase, but prohibit them from reducing funding for public schools. The amendment would also limit sales and use taxes from going up unless it is to make up lost revenue from the eliminated income tax.
NO vote
A “no” vote would keep the current income tax system and not make any of the changes above.
Background
A top priority of Gov. Mike Kehoe, the amendment would allow the legislature to raise and expand state sales taxes to more goods and services without needing additional voter approval in order to try to make up revenue lost from eliminating the state income tax. The amendment includes no guidelines about how that would be done. Supporters of the amendment say it will help the state’s economic growth and make it more competitive with other states that do not collect income taxes. Opponents say it would shift the tax burden further off of the wealthiest Missourians and onto poorer ones, that it would gut state revenues without a clear plan for how to make up for it, and would handcuff local governments from ensuring local services continue.
