Missouri voters approve Kansas City police funding amendment, reject property tax exemptions for childcare establishments amendment

Voters in Missouri decided on two constitutional amendments on August 6, 2024. Voters rejected Amendment 1 and approved Amendment 4.

Amendment 1 would have allowed for childcare establishments to be exempt from property tax. Voters rejected the amendment, with 45% voting for it, and 55% voting against it.

Amendment 4 allows the state legislature to increase minimum funding for a police force established by a state board of police commissioners, specifically the police force of Kansas City. Voters approved the amendment by 51% to 49%.

Amendment 1, which was referred to the ballot by the state legislature, would have exempted childcare establishments from property taxation, as well as other properties used primarily for the care of children outside of their homes. State Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R), who introduced the amendment, said, “We obviously have a child care facility shortage in our state; we need to provide opportunities for folks that get child care. This is just one incentive to try to make it easier for the facilities to provide child care.”

Amendment 4 allows the state legislature to increase minimum funding for a police force established by a state board of police commissioners. Kansas City, Missouri, is the only city that does not have local jurisdiction over its department and, therefore, the only city that this measure affects.

Amendment 4 was previously on the ballot on November 8, 2022, when voters approved it by 63%-37%. The Missouri Supreme Court overturned Amendment 4 on April 30, 2024, ruling that the fiscal note was inaccurate, and ordered a new election to take place.

State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer (R-34), who sponsored the measure, said this measure would prevent future attempts to decrease police funding. He said, “This legislation will stop future radical attempts by the city council to defund the KCPD and ensure the brave men and women of law enforcement have the resources they need to keep our community safe.”

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, who opposed the amendment, said, “I do not support anything that takes away our ability to work with our local police department and neighborhood leaders in terms of how we get to better solutions for violent crime.”

Missouri voters will decide two other amendments from the state legislature at the general election on November 5, 2024.

• An amendment that would include the levying of fees to support salaries and benefits for law enforcement personnel.
• An amendment that would prohibit local governments from allowing non-citizens to vote and prohibit ranked-choice voting.

Voters could also decide on three citizen-initiated ballot measures, which are pending signature verification.