JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri voters will see two different ballot initiatives when they head to the polls Tuesday: Amendment 1 and Amendment 4.
Amendment 4 will look familiar to voters; the state’s highest court said voters were misled on the 2022 ballot, throwing out election results. If approved Tuesday, it would require Kansas City to increase funding for its police department.
Amendment 1 comes as 94 of the state’s 114 counties are in a child care desert. This referendum asks voters if they want to give child care facilities a special property tax break.
“What I’ve heard is from parents, from child care facilities and even from employers who say this is a big drag on our ability to find employees,” Sen. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit said.
The hope is Amendment 1 will be an incentive to open more facilities and give relief to already existing providers.
“The number one reason people don’t go to work is because of adequate child care, we don’t have it in the state of Missouri,” Gov. Mike Parson said. “Our revenues are up; we have a $1.9 billion excess fund that I’m going to turn over to the next governor. You know this is a number one priority, we’ve got the funding, let’s do what we can to help the people of this state that need child care.”
Amendment 1 on the Aug. 6 primary ballot asks:
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to allow places where individuals, corporations, organizations, and associations provide childcare outside of the child’s home to be exempt from property tax? This is intended to make childcare more available, which would support the well-being of children, families, the workforce, and society as a whole.
State governmental entities estimate the state’s Blind Pension Fund could have annual lost revenue of up to $400,000. Local governments expect an unknown fiscal impact.
“I think most people are feeling this is some form or fashion, whether it’s grandkids, kids, relatives, seeing it in your own business, giving Missourians a voice is always a good thing,” Fitzwater said.
Even if approved on Tuesday, there’s still another step for lawmakers to take. The General Assembly would have to come back and pass the exemption.
Earlier this year, Parson asked lawmakers to pass tax credits to help businesses, families and providers, but the bipartisan legislation fell short for a second year in row.
The financial impact of the potential lost taxes to local government is still unknown. The Missouri Department of Social Services told the auditor’s office that their Blind Pension fund, which gives money to people who are blind, would lose around $400,000 annually. This undetermined number is why the business community hasn’t officially taken a position on the ballot question.
Just below that question, voters will see Amendment 4, to increase funding for the Kansas City Police Department from 20% to 25%. This referendum was overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2022, but it was followed by a lawsuit from Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas over the cost, saying Missourians told a lie.
The original amendment, sponsored by Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, said there would be no additional costs for state or local governmental entities.
Back in April, the Missouri Supreme Court sided with Lucas, saying increasing funding for Kansas City police would cost $38 million.
Amendment 4 on the ballot asks:
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to authorize laws, passed before December 31st, 2026, that increase minimum funding for a police force established by a state board of police commissioners to ensure such police force has additional resources to serve its communities?
This would authorize a law passed in 2022 increasing required funding by the City of Kansas City for police department requests from 20% of general revenue to 25%, an increase of $38,743,646, though the City previously provided that level of funding voluntarily. No other state or local governmental entities estimate costs or savings.
“If there’s going to be some liberal big city mayor that wants to defund them, I think the people of Missouri think that’s a bad idea,” Luetkemeyer said. “I believe that voters in Missouri believe that we should stand with our men and women in law enforcement.”
Lucas previously said the Missouri Supreme Court sided with “fairness to the people of Kansas City and all Missouri voters” by putting this question back on the ballot.
There were more than two dozen House Republicans that voted against putting the question up to voters last year. House Budget Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, who is currently running for governor said he opposed the legislation because he said the government should not be picking winners and losers.
“I would prefer wide-ranging property tax reform in Missouri,” Smith said in a statement. “While I acknowledge we need more child care providers in our state, let us not forget that many Missourians, including seniors, struggle with perpetual property taxes. On this issue, we need to help more than just child care providers.”
