Missouri governor places tax overhaul, initiative petition limits on August ballot
Gov. Mike Kehoe will ask Missouri voters in August to decide whether lawmakers should have new power to expand sales taxes to replace the income tax and whether citizen-led constitutional amendments should face a higher bar for passage.
Kehoe moved four proposed constitutional amendments to the Aug. 4 primary ballot: Amendment 1, renewing a sales tax for state parks and soil conservation; Amendment 2, requiring direct election of county assessors; Amendment 4, changing the threshold for constitutional amendments proposed by initiative petition; and Amendment 5, authorizing lawmakers to expand sales taxes as part of an effort to eliminate the state income tax.
In a statement Friday, Kehoe defended the August timing on Amendment 5 by pointing to the work lawmakers would face if it passes.
“Modernizing Missouri’s outdated tax code, specifically, will be a momentous task for the Missouri General Assembly, and placing the measure to phase out Missouri’s income tax on the August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,” Kehoe said.
https://missouriindependent.com/2026/05/22/missouri-governor-places-tax-overhaul-initiative-petition-limits-on-august-ballot/