Can Missouri still eliminate its income tax?

Missouri voters dealt a major blow to Governor Mike Kehoe's top priority this week, rejecting Amendment 5 — a measure that would have set the state on a path to eliminating its individual income tax.

Despite being outspent more than four-to-one, opponents successfully branded the proposal "the everything tax," raising fears about higher sales taxes and cuts to education and public services. But what does the lopsided result really mean for Kehoe's agenda — and for Missouri's broader political landscape?

Jacob Kirn speaks with Dave Drebes, publisher of Missouri Scout and columnist for the St. Louis Business Journal, to break down why a well-funded tax cut campaign failed in a deep-red state, which constituencies drove the opposition, and what comes next for the governor heading into a budget-constrained legislative session.

In this episode:

Why the absence of a specific plan became Amendment 5's biggest vulnerabilityThe role of the Missouri Realtors Association in funding the oppositionWhat the defeat means for Kehoe's political standing and business alliancesWhether a bold tax reform push could return — or if Missouri is back to slow, incremental cutsThe structural challenges keeping Democrats in the super-minority at the Capitol

LINKS:

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis