As the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary, we should be asking more than whether our democracy has endured. We should be asking whether people still have meaningful ways to shape the decisions that govern their lives.
In Missouri, two constitutional amendments on the August ballot would weaken that power. Amendment 4 would make it substantially harder for voters to amend the state constitution through the initiative process. Amendment 5 would begin phasing out Missouri’s individual income tax while opening the door to taxes on more of the goods and services people use every day.
Both amendments would give state lawmakers greater control while leaving ordinary Missourians with fewer protections.
Amendment 4 would replace Missouri’s longstanding rule that a citizen-led constitutional amendment passes when it receives a majority of votes statewide. Under the proposed system, an amendment would need a majority in every one of Missouri’s eight congressional districts.
That means voters in a single district could defeat a measure supported by a majority of voters across the state.
It would fundamentally change who holds power in Missouri.
The initiative process gives citizens a way to act when the legislature will not. Missourians have used it to raise the minimum wage, expand Medicaid, legalize adult-use marijuana, establish paid sick leave and protect reproductive freedom. Voters may disagree about any one of those decisions. But the essential principle is that Missourians had the right to place those questions before the public and decide them by majority vote.
Amendment 4 would preserve the appearance of that right while making it much harder to exercise. It would effectively give each congressional district veto power over the rest of the state. It would also tie the outcome of statewide votes to district lines drawn through a political process.
Amendment 5 presents a different but equally consequential choice.
The measure would require the legislature to enact laws phasing out Missouri’s individual income tax based on revenue growth. Once that tax is eliminated, the state would be prohibited from reinstating it. The amendment would also authorize lawmakers to extend sales and use taxes to goods and services that are not currently subject to them.
Supporters emphasize that Missourians would eventually stop paying state income tax. But the measure is not simply a tax cut. It authorizes a fundamental shift in how Missouri raises revenue: away from taxes based on income and toward taxes on what people buy.
Income taxes are tied to how much a person earns. Sales taxes are tied to what a person spends. Families with low and moderate incomes generally must spend a greater share of what they earn to meet immediate needs. Extending sales taxes to more goods and services can therefore take a greater share of their household income, even if they receive some benefit from a lower income-tax rate.
Amendment 5 does not tell voters which additional purchases or services would be taxed. It does not establish the rates they would pay. And it does not tell individual Missourians whether the income taxes they save would be greater or less than the additional sales taxes they could owe. Even the official ballot language acknowledges that the effect on taxes is currently unknown.
The amendment would also allow implementing legislation enacted within five years to avoid the normal constitutional requirement that voters approve significant state tax increases. In other words, voters are being asked to authorize a major tax restructuring now while leaving many of its most consequential details for lawmakers to decide later.
Missourians should not amend their constitution without knowing what may be taxed, at what rate, or who will ultimately pay more. A change this significant should provide voters with greater certainty and accountability.
Missourians should not surrender majority rule or authorize a major tax shift without knowing what additional goods and services could be taxed or who would ultimately pay more. Voting no on Amendment 4 protects the principle that statewide questions should be decided by a statewide majority. Voting no on Amendment 5 rejects an uncertain tax restructuring whose consequences have not been fully defined for Missouri households.
On Aug. 4, Missourians should keep power with the people and vote no on Amendments 4 and 5.
Constance Harper is vice president of strategic impact and innovation at the Deaconess Foundation.
I would vote no on amendment four and five, I was just wondering why they don’t take sales taxes away from social security and I was just wondering why?they don’t eliminate the tax on groceries
Vote yes on Amendment 4 to do away with mob rule. 51% should not be able to control the other 49%.
Vote yes on Amendment 5 to make Missouri competitive with states like Florida and Texas which already has no state income tax and are attracting new businesses at an astonishing rate.
Voting yes on amendment 4 will make it so that 5% of the population can control the other 95%..
Right on !
Tad, really? Mob rule? Not much respect for democracy. So sorry.
Thank you, Miss Harper for this concise explanation.
The word about amendment 4 and 5 should be put out there so that people who don’t use their phones, laptops, or computers for their information would get the word. Most of our elderly don’t use this form of communication to keep them informed on politics. Plus,. I feel a lot of our young don’t understand the ramifications of these two amendments.
Great plain language to understand what’s at stake and the consequences, thank you.
Im voting no on 4 and yes on 5 im sick of paying income taxes thousands of dollars every year when tourists and all citizens can equally pay the tax burden. That seems like a better way
Yes on 4 & 5. No state income tax is a HUGE benefit. Florida, Texas, and Tennessee are proof of that. Even in Mississippi they voted it in, starting in 2027 or 2028.
Both of those states are also expensive. And when I lived in Texas, my property taxes were ridiculously high because there is no state income tax.
Vote No on both.
I agree. We should eliminate taxes on groceries and utilities. We should also vote on term limits for our forever politicians. No industries including factory farms should be immune from health and environmental regulations.
No on Amendments 4 and 5. 5yr implementation IF collected revenue hits the target set by the politicians. No thank you this is a political gimmick, people of Missouri need to read between the lines. Governor how about this, Eliminate the unjust personal property tax you ran on it, leave the rest as is. This is becoming a boondoggle against low and median taxpayers of Missouri.
#4 or a type like it (perhaps 3/4’s of the districts) needs to pass. 3 major cities can control the state currently (kind of like Illinois). We are currently controlled by “what the mob wants.”
Basically you’re saying that the I70 corridor should continue to decide what happens in the rest of the state. No, I think we’ll re-establish what is essentially a state level electoral college with A4. As to A5, Florida and Texas seem to be doing just fine.
What ever happen to house bill 2751
Its not mob rule, it’s majority rule. And the details are missing. This gives our local government too much power over the voice of the people. You’re essentially voting for a statewide electoral college. This practice should be done away with in my opinion. A true democracy has a majority rules voting system. Just like we did as children in class, when voting, the majority votes ruled what happened but it was a fair vote.
Replacing income tax with a potential plethora of sales taxes on goods and services is a terrible idea, especially for seniors on fixed incomes.
Besides that, have a look at what unfettered pols do with sales taxes. A half cent here and there and pretty soon they have us at 10% on this, 9.5 on that and it’s never gonna end. Think about even a five percent lug on PT services or doctor visits… And who believes they won’t rewrite the law and keep the income tax.
Thanks Constance Harper for the excellent summary of Amendments 4 & 5 and their potential implications for Missouri voters. We need to defend the people’s rights!
I WATCH DEBATE BETWEEN ON AMENDMENT 5 NO ONE STATED THAT SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT COULD PROVIDE WHAT GOODS OR SERVICES BE INCREASED. HORRIBLE TO GO THE AUTHORITY TO LEGISLATORS. TAKING AWAY OUR RIGHTS. ONLY HELPS THE WEALTHY. AMENDMENT 5 IS NOT TRUTHFUL.
Vote NO on Missouri amendment 5. Tax based on income is better for all and protects lower income from higher sales tax that will be raised for everyone if Amendment 5 is passed.