Lakins
for Missouri State Representative
District 39
We the People – Working Together, Leading Change
August 4 Ballot Amendments — Where Tanya Stands
On August 4, Missouri voters will decide four statewide constitutional amendments. Here's what each one does, and where Tanya stands.
Amendment 1: Protect Parks, Soil, and Water
YES ✅
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This is not a new tax. It renews the existing one-tenth of one percent sales tax that's funded Missouri's state parks, historic sites, and soil and water conservation since 1984. [1]
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Voters have renewed it four times, most recently in 2016 with about 80% support, carrying every county in the state. [2]
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It's backed by a coalition ranging from the Sierra Club to the Missouri Farm Bureau. This one isn't partisan. [3]
Amendment 4: Raising the Bar on Citizen-Led Amendments
NO ❌
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Missouri citizens already need 170,215 signatures across six of eight congressional districts just to get a measure on the ballot, then a statewide majority to pass it. [4]
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One district could override the rest of the state. Amendment 4 adds a new requirement: winning a majority in every single congressional district. [1]
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Every citizen-led amendment Missouri has passed since 2020 would have failed under this rule, including Medicaid expansion, marijuana legalization, minimum wage, and paid sick leave. [5]
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The legislature gave itself an easier path to put Amendment 4 on this ballot than it's demanding of citizens.
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Both the Missouri AFL-CIO and the League of Women Voters of Missouri oppose it. [6][7]
Amendment 2: County Assessor Elections
NO ❌
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On paper, this applies to all charter counties. In practice, it's aimed at one: Jackson County, the only one currently exempt. [1]
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No fraud has been alleged and no problem identified. The state's own fiscal note says it changes nothing about taxes or costs. [1]
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If Jackson County wants to change how it picks an assessor, that's a decision for Jackson County, not the whole state.
Amendment 5: Income Tax Phase-Out and Sales Tax Expansion
NO ❌
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Amendment 5 phases out Missouri's income tax, which funds about 64% of the state budget, and hands lawmakers broad new power to expand sales taxes to make up the difference. [1][8]
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It doesn't say what will actually get taxed. Reporting points to doctor visits, medications, childcare, and home repairs as likely targets. [9]
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This hits retirees, seniors, and disabled veterans hardest. They already pay little or no income tax, but would pay new sales taxes on everything else. Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck and the Missouri VFW have both said so. [10][11]
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Even the Missouri Chamber of Commerce hasn't endorsed it, and the Missouri AFL-CIO recommends a no vote. [6][12]
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This year's budget is already $190 million short of fully funding public schools. [13]
Sources
[1] Missouri Secretary of State, 2026 Ballot Measures, official ballot titles and fair ballot language. sos.mo.gov/petitions/2026ballotmeasures [2] Missouri Department of Natural Resources / News From The States, coverage of the 2016 renewal result. dnr.mo.gov [3] KOMU, coverage of the Amendment 1 support coalition. komu.com [4] Ballotpedia, Missouri signature requirements for ballot measures. ballotpedia.org [5] Bolts Magazine, "Under This GOP Measure, All of Missouri's Recent Popular Initiatives Would Have Failed." boltsmag.org [6] Labor Tribune, Missouri AFL-CIO recommendation on Amendments 4 and 5. labortribune.com [7] League of Women Voters of Missouri, statement opposing Amendment 4. my.lwv.org/missouri [8] Missouri Budget Project, Amendment 5 revenue analysis. mobudget.org [9] West County News, reporting on services that could be newly taxed. westnewsmagazine.com [10] St. Louis Public Radio, Sen. Doug Beck statement on Amendment 5. stlpr.org [11] KCTV, Missouri VFW comment on the income tax elimination plan. kctv5.com [12] Bond Buyer, reporting on the Missouri Chamber of Commerce's non-endorsement. bondbuyer.com [13] Missouri Independent, reporting on the K-12 school funding shortfall. missouriindependent.com
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