Understanding Missouri's Constitutional Amendment On Tax Limits

Missouri Amendment 4, also known as the Allow Legislature to Require a City to Increase Funding without State Reimbursement for a Police Force Established by State Board Measure, was a ballot measure in the 2024 Missouri elections. The amendment sought to increase the minimum funding requirement for the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) from 20% to 25% of the city's general revenues. The KCPD is governed by a Board of Police Commissioners and has been historically funded by the city at around 25%. The amendment was approved and is consistent with the modern funding needs of the department.

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The 2016 Amendment prohibited sales tax extension to previously untaxed services

The Missouri Prohibition on Extending Sales Tax to Previously Untaxed Services Amendment, also known as Constitutional Amendment 4, was on the ballot in Missouri on November 8, 2016, as an initiated constitutional amendment. The amendment prohibited the state and local governments from imposing sales and use taxes on any service or activity that was not already taxed as of January 1, 2015.

Amendment 4 was certified on August 9, 2016, and was approved by voters on November 8, 2016. The amendment was supported by the group Missourians for Fair Taxation, which raised over $5.44 million as of December 14, 2016. The group argued that the amendment was necessary to prevent "unsensible taxation on services" that could place a financial burden on individuals and families.

The Joplin Globe, while generally opposing efforts to amend the Constitution, expressed understanding for the protections sought by the amendment, noting that Missouri residents already pay sales tax on most tangible goods. The Hannibal Courier-Post also supported the amendment, stating that it would prevent "egregious over-taxation" on previously untaxed services such as haircuts and flower deliveries.

To get the amendment on the ballot, supporters were required to collect signatures from registered voters totaling 8% of the votes cast in the most recent governor's election, from 6 out of the state's 8 congressional districts. The sponsors of the measure hired the Lincoln Strategy Group to collect the required number of signatures, spending a total of $785,374.10 to collect 157,788 valid signatures.

It required signatures from 8% of voters in 6 of 8 congressional districts

Missouri Amendment 4, also known as the Prohibition on Extending Sales Tax to Previously Untaxed Services Amendment, was a ballot measure in the state of Missouri in 2016. The amendment sought to prohibit the extension of sales tax to services or activities that were not already taxed as of January 1, 2015.

To get this amendment on the ballot, supporters were required to collect a certain number of signatures from registered voters. Specifically, they needed signatures from 8% of voters in 6 out of 8 congressional districts, amounting to a total of 157,788 valid signatures. This requirement is stipulated by Missouri law for any constitutional amendment initiative. The supporters successfully collected the necessary signatures and submitted them to the Secretary of State's office by the deadline of May 8, 2016. The amendment was then certified on August 9, 2016, and appeared on the ballot on November 8, 2016, where it was approved by Missouri voters.

The Missouri Amendment 4 of 2022 is unrelated to the 2016 amendment. The 2022 amendment pertained to funding for the Kansas City Police Department and was the subject of legal challenges.

It was supported by Missourians for Fair Taxation

Missouri's Constitutional Amendment 4, also known as the Missouri Prohibition on Extending Sales Tax to Previously Untaxed Services Amendment, was on the ballot on November 8, 2016. It was supported by Missourians for Fair Taxation, who led the campaign in favour of the amendment. The group raised over $5.44 million as of December 14, 2016, and was the only campaign committee registered in support of Amendment 4.

Missourians for Fair Taxation was required to collect signatures from registered voters amounting to 8% of the votes cast in the latest governor's election from 6 out of 8 congressional districts. They successfully filed signatures by the deadline of May 8, 2016, and Constitutional Amendment 4 was certified on August 9, 2016.

The amendment prohibited the state and local governments from imposing sales and use taxes on any services or activities that were not taxed before January 1, 2015. This meant that Missourians would not pay taxes on services like haircuts or flower deliveries, which were previously untaxed.

Another Missouri Amendment 4, passed in 2022, allowed the legislature to require a city to increase funding without state reimbursement for a police force established by the state board. This amendment was largely backed by Republicans and was opposed by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who filed a lawsuit against the state of Missouri, saying that the ballot measure would cost the city nearly $39 million. The Missouri Supreme Court struck down this Amendment 4 in May 2024.

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It was certified on August 9, 2016, and approved in November 2016

The Missouri Prohibition on Extending Sales Tax to Previously Untaxed Services Amendment, also known as Constitutional Amendment 4, was certified on August 9, 2016, and approved on November 8, 2016. The amendment was certified after supporters filed the required number of signatures with the Secretary of State's office by the deadline of May 8, 2016. Constitutional Amendment 4 prohibited the state and local governments from imposing sales and use taxes on any service or activity that was not already taxed as of January 1, 2015.

The amendment was supported by the group Missourians for Fair Taxation, who raised over $5.44 million as of December 14, 2016. The amendment was also endorsed by the Hannibal Courier-Post and the Joplin Globe. There were no campaign committees registered in opposition to the amendment.

The Missouri Amendment 4 of 2022, on the other hand, was a different proposal that allowed the legislature to require a city to increase funding without state reimbursement for a police force established by a state board. This amendment was also approved by voters in 2022 and 2024 but was later overturned by the Missouri Supreme Court on May 1, 2024, due to a lawsuit filed by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas claiming that the fiscal note on the ballot measure was inaccurate and misleading.

Therefore, it is important to distinguish between the Missouri Amendment 4 of 2016, which dealt with prohibiting the extension of sales tax to previously untaxed services, and the Missouri Amendment 4 of 2022, which pertained to funding for the police force.

The 2022 Amendment allowed increased funding for the Kansas City Police Department

Missouri Amendment 4, also known as the 'Allow Legislature to Require a City to Increase Funding without State Reimbursement for a Police Force Established by State Board Amendment', was a ballot measure in the state of Missouri that appeared on the ballot on November 8, 2022. The amendment allowed the Missouri state legislature to increase funding for the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) from 20% to 25% of the city's general revenues.

The amendment was largely backed by Republicans and was presented as a way to increase funding for the KCPD and block any potential "defund-the-police" movement. The measure was opposed by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who argued that it would take away the ability of local authorities to work with the police department and neighbourhood leaders in finding solutions to violent crime. Gwen Grant, President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, also opposed the amendment, stating that it could cause harm to the city and that it made no sense for the state legislature to dictate how local governments should allocate resources.

Despite the opposition, Missouri Amendment 4 was initially approved by voters in 2022. However, Lucas filed a lawsuit in 2023, arguing that the fiscal note on the ballot measure was inaccurate and misleading. The lawsuit claimed that Kansas City officials had informed state officials before the election that the measure would cost the city nearly $39 million. As a result, the Missouri Supreme Court struck down Amendment 4 on May 1, 2024, and a new election was ordered for August 6, 2024. In this election, voters once again approved the amendment, although by a smaller margin.

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