IMPORTANT ISSUES ON THE BALLOT IN THE AUGUST 4TH ELECTION
AMENDMENT 1
The state of Missouri already has a one tenth of one percent sales tax that goes to support clean water, state parks, and historic sites. The tax is set to expire this year if it is not renewed. If voters approve Amendment 1, this tax will be renewed for 10 more years.
AMENDMENT 4
In Missouri, our state constitution says that we as voters have a right to change our state laws by creating a petition, collecting a certain number of signatures from each state congressional district, and then putting a change up for a vote of the people of our state. If voters pass Amendment 4, it will change the Missouri constitution to make it much harder for ordinary people to use this process to change our state laws.
Under Amendment 4, a small number of voters in a single state congressional district could prevent a initiative proposed by citizens from passing even if a majority of voters in every other district vote yes. Meanwhile, the politicians in our state legislature would still have the same power they have now to create new laws. If Amendment 4 passes it will weaken voters’ power in Missouri.
AMENDMENT 5
Economists are calling Amendment 5 “The Everything Tax.” If Amendment 5 passes, it will allow Missouri state legislators to raise state sales taxes on goods and services, including many services that we have never had to pay sales taxes on before. Our current laws say any new sales taxes proposed by politicians have to be specifically approved by local voters, but Amendment 5 would change things so that politicians will be able to raise sales taxes again and again without a vote of the people.
Supporters of this bill say that the money from these sales taxes will be used to lower state income taxes, but the math shows that in the end, even with lower income taxes, the new sales taxes will be so high that most Missourians will wind up paying more in taxes. Only the wealthy will pay less.
Prices for basics like gas, groceries, and medicine are already too high for Missouri families. Higher sales taxes on everyday needs only make life harder for people who are already paying too much,