Kansas City Today

Can Missouri function without state income tax?

By Brian Ellison,

Published February 23, 2026 at 4:00 AM CST

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Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has proposed having citizens vote to phase out the state income tax over the next five years. But is that a viable option for the state budget?

Brian Ellison spoke with Amy Blouin, president and CEO of the Missouri Budget project, about the details of the governor's proposal and how it may hurt the average Missourian more than help.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

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Brian Ellison

As a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.

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Byron J. Love

As an on-demand producer, I am focused on using my skills and experiences across multiple digital applications, platforms and media fields to create community focused audio, video and on-demand products for KCUR Studios. The media that I produce aims to inform, entertain and connect with the Kansas City metro area as we continue to learn from each other. Email me at byronlove@kcur.org.

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