Missouri voters to decide 4 constitutional amendments in August

Missourians will decide the fate of four constitutional amendments on the Aug. 4 primary election ballot.

Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a proclamation May 22 that places Amendments 1, 2, 4 and 5 on the Aug. 4 ballot.

Amendment 1, if approved, extends for 10 years the one-tenth of 1 percent sales/use tax used for soil and water conservation, and for state parks and historic sites. Amendment 2, if passed, requires all charter counties, including Jackson County, to elect a county assessor and that the assessors comply with the state’s training requirements.

Amendment 4 modifies current requirements that a simple statewide majority of voters may approve initiative petitions to amend the constitution, requires a majority of voters in each congressional district to approve initiative petitions and makes available to all voters the full text of initiative petitions with their ballot.

Amendment 5, if passed, would do away with individual income tax based on revenue growth and reduce property taxes and other local taxes to offset any local sales tax revenue increases, while preserving local funding for public schools.

“With several significant issues set to appear before Missouri voters this year, it is important that we both prepare for the outcome of each proposal and allow each issue to receive the careful public consideration it deserves,” Kehoe said in a press release. “Modernizing Missouri’s outdated tax code, specifically, will be a momentous task for the Missouri General Assembly, and placing the measure to phase out Missouri’s income tax on the August ballot gives lawmakers additional time to prepare for the next phase of implementation. As Missourians continue supporting policies that make our state more competitive, we want to ensure the legislature is positioned to act responsibly following the direction of the voters.”