What We Know: Missouri voters have rejected two of the state’s most closely watched constitutional amendments in Tuesday’s primary election.
The Associated Press projected the defeat of both Amendment 4 and Amendment 5 Tuesday evening.
What It Means: Amendment 4 would have changed Missouri’s initiative petition process. Instead of requiring only a statewide majority, future citizen-led constitutional amendments would also have needed majority support in all eight congressional districts.
Supporters argued the change would protect Missouri’s Constitution from well-funded campaigns backed by out-of-state interests. Opponents said it would make it much harder for citizens to amend the Constitution, giving individual regions of the state more influence than the statewide vote.
Voters also rejected Amendment 5, which proposed gradually eliminating Missouri’s state income tax. The measure would have allowed lawmakers over the next five years to impose or increase sales taxes on goods and services to replace the lost revenue.
KWTO and many other media outlets across the state are projecting Constitutional Amendment 5 has also failed. With 43% of the vote counted, well over 8 out of 10 voters are saying no to 5, which would have phased out the individual income tax and allowed lawmakers to increase sales and use taxes. (82.5 to 17.5 %).
Spokesman Joe Lamie with Missouri Promise PAC released this statement: “While we are disappointed by today’s result, our commitment to lowering taxes for Missouri families and strengthening our state’s economy remains unchanged. Governor Kehoe deserves credit for thinking big, and we will continue to work alongside him to reduce the tax burden on hardworking Missourians and advance policies that help our state grow and prosper.”
Supporters said the amendment would reduce the state’s reliance on income taxes. Critics argued it could shift more of the tax burden to consumers through higher sales taxes.
What’s Next: With both measures failing, Missouri’s current initiative petition process and state tax structure will remain unchanged.