Primary elections historically have lower voter turnout, and Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s decision to place two highly consequential constitutional amendments on the August ballot is adding to the controversy.
Last week, Kehoe announced he would place four of the potentially nine constitutional amendment proposals in the Aug. 4, 2026, ballot.
Amendment 4, if passed, will heighten the barrier for citizens to get an initiative petition placed on the statewide ballot. That’s the process used by Missouri voters to legalize marijuana and abortion rights, over the legislature’s objections.
Amendment 5, if passed, will allow the state legislature to expand the sales tax in order to eliminate the state income tax.
“These are the types of changes that are going to be what, you know, if they're approved, are going to impact Missouri government for years, years, decades to come,” said Jason Hancock, editor-in-chief of the Missouri Independent.
Hancock said advocates for Amendment 5 — which was placed on the ballot by Missouri Republican lawmakers — say Missouri will be more competitive if it eliminates the income tax.
“That's going to be where the dividing lines are, in what I anticipate will be an incredibly loud and incredibly expensive campaign heading into the August primary,” Hancock said.
The income tax made up more than 60% of Missouri’s budget last year. Kehoe’s plan seeks to phase out the income tax over five years, so that revenue wouldn’t disappear overnight.
“It's an argument about economic growth. It's an argument about sort of making the state more competitive ” said Dr. Matt Harris, an associate professor of political science at Park University.
However, Harris said, “I don't know how much I buy that argument.”
Although voters may think that less taxes are a good thing, the reality is Missouri would merely shift where the state gets its money, by increasing and expanding sales taxes on goods and services. Those changes would disproportionately affect lower-income Missourians.
“Because it's going to be made up in other ways. And so I think that's really kind of the missing piece,” Harris said.
Amendment 4, if passed, will increase the threshold of citizen-led initiative petitions to require that future amendments win approval from a majority of voters in all eight congressional districts. That’s a significant change from the current requirement of a simple majority.
“To get something to pass all eight congressional districts is going to have to be something that has pretty much universal support,” Harris said.
On the November ballot, Missouri voters will see an amendment to repeal the abortion rights amendment passed by voters in 2024 — essentially banning abortion in the state once again.
Votes in November may also vote on a referendum to possibly overturned the gerrymandered state congressional map passed by Missouri lawmakers. Secretary of State Denny Hoskins has not certified that the referendum has collected enough valid signatures to be placed on the ballot, but multiple legal challenges are currently underway.
- Jason Hancock, editor-in-chief, Missouri Independent
- Dr. Matt Harris, associate professor of political science, Park University
