Ballot Issues Forum - October 6th

Not only will we have a number of local and national candidates on the November ballot, but there will be 5 proposed Amendments to the Missouri State Constitution and 2 additional propositions to change existing tax laws to consider.

Here's your chance to learn more about these proposed amendments and make informed choices at the polls.  Please attend our Issues Forum:

     Date - Thursday, October 6, 2016
     Time - 6:30pm
     Location - Carpenter Branch Library - Basement, 3309 Grand Blvd., 63118

Speakers will be allotted 5 minutes to present their case for or against each ballot measure, followed by brief Q&A from the audience. We will update this page as speakers are confirmed.

In a nutshell, the Amendments are focused on the following:

*Amendment 1 - Continuing sales/use tax used for soil and water conservation and for state parks and historic sites

*Amendment 2 - Campaign finance reform

*Amendment 3 - An increase in cigarette taxes and fees to be deposited into a newly established Early Childhood Health and Education Trust Fund. The tax increase will be each year through 2020, at which point this additional tax will total 60 cents per pack of 20. This amendment also creates a fee paid by cigarette wholesalers of 67 cents per pack of 20 on certain cigarettes.

*Amendment 4 - Prohibits a new state or local sales/use or other similar tax on any service or transaction. This amendment only applies to any service or transaction that was not subject to a sales/use or similar tax as of January 1, 2015.

*Amendment 6 - Voter ID required at polls. Voters may be required by law to verify their identity, citizenship, and residence by presenting identification that may include valid government-issued photo identification.

*Proposition A - An increase in cigarette taxes to be used exclusively to fund transportation infrastructure projects. Tax increases will be in 2017, 2019, and 2021, at which point this additional tax will total 23 cents per pack of 20. This amendment also increases the tax paid by sellers on other tobacco products by 5 percent of manufacturer’s invoice price.

*Proposition S - An increase in property taxes of $0.05 per $100 of assessed valuation for the purpose of providing services to persons sixty years of age and older.

Further details regarding the 2016 Ballot Measures can be found at:
https://www.sos.mo.gov/petitions/2016BallotMeasures