Missouri’s 2026 legislative session is set to begin on Wednesday, Jan 7, and one big focus for lawmakers is changing the state’s taxes.
House Speaker Jonathan Patterson, a Republican from Lee’s Summit, said the legislature could discuss phasing out the state’s income tax. He noted that nine other states do not have an income tax and three have legislation to eliminate it.
“To change the tax system, it'll probably require a vote of the people,” Patterson said. “But it's not going to happen overnight, and we're still going to fund the government.”
Additionally, they will discuss reducing some personal property taxes and capping annual property tax increases.
But Missouri’s record-high budget surplus is quickly vanishing as revenue falls far short of expected, in large part because of the state eliminating the capital gains tax.
Previously, Missouri used part of its budget surplus on highways and the Capitol building. Patterson said lawmakers could focus future investments on schools and roads to help attract businesses.
“You've got to be on your game to get through I-70 these days. We made that investment a few years ago because we believed in Missouri,” Patterson said. “We believe it's a great state, and it should have a six lane highway going through it. There's no doubt in my mind that it was a good investment.”
Outside of the budget, Patterson said the next session could discuss if Jackson County should be separate from Kansas City, and ways to make child care affordable. He also proposed a bill to incentivise the development of high-achieving students by giving each school a publicly available grade of A through F.
- State Rep. Jonathan Patterson, Missouri House Speaker
