Missouri appeals court revises ballot language for tax‑shift amendment

The Missouri Court of Appeals has rewritten the voter‑facing language for Amendment 5, a constitutional measure that would gradually eliminate the state’s individual income tax and authorize expanded sales and use taxes. The court kept the amendment on the August 4 ballot, rejecting a request to remove it, but required the summary and fair‑ballot description to be clearer. The revised wording specifies that a "yes" vote would mandate the phased‑out income tax tied to revenue growth and permit sales‑tax expansions, while also directing local tax‑rate cuts if sales‑tax revenue rises, without reducing school funding. The "no" option now notes that the Constitution would remain unchanged, but future tax changes would still be possible.

The amendment is a priority of the Republican‑controlled state legislature and was placed on the ballot by Governor Mike Kehoe. Plaintiffs had argued that the measure violated constitutional limits by addressing multiple subjects and that the original language was misleading. The appeals court concluded the revised language meets requirements for being "fair and sufficient" for voters.