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Missouri voters to decide on ballot measure for property tax exemptions for childcare facilities

By Nicole Fisher
In Ballot measures, State
May 16, 2023 at 12:00 PM

In Missouri, a constitutional amendment that would allow childcare establishments to be exempt from property taxes was certified for the Nov. 5, 2024, ballot.

On May 12, 2023, the Missouri House of Representatives voted 91-27 to pass the amendment. It previously passed the Missouri State Senate by 33-0 on March 23, 2023. To propose a constitutional amendment for voter approval, the state Legislature needs to pass it with a simple majority vote in both chambers.

The amendment would enable an assessing authority to grant tax exemptions for real and personal property primarily used to care for a child outside his or her home.

Sen. Travis Fitzwater (R), who proposed the amendment, said, “We obviously have a childcare facility shortage in our state; we need to provide opportunities for folks that get childcare. This is just one incentive to try to make it easier for the facilities to provide childcare. We just want to encourage childcare facilities in the state to expand and have opportunities to keep more of their money, because they’re providing a real necessity of a service in the state of Missouri.”

Heidi Sutherland, director of legislative affairs for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that while more needs to be done to address childcare in Missouri, this amendment may address the need for childcare of workers. She said, “We do a CEO survey of our members every year, and so this year 78 percent of business leaders in the state said that lack of childcare availability is making it difficult to find workers, and it’s keeping workers out of the workforce, especially single parents and especially women. It’s going to take an all-of-the-above approach to tackle the childcare crisis, but I think this measure is a great way to start.”

This is the first statewide ballot measure to be certified for the ballot in Missouri for 2024. In Missouri, a total of 136 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1985 and 2022. Eighty-six (63.23%) ballot measures were approved, and 50 (36.77%) ballot measures were defeated. In 2022, Missouri voters approved three ballot measures and rejected two.



Three incumbents lose in first general election for downsized St. Louis’ Board of Aldermen

By Juan Garcia de Paredes
In Local
April 10, 2023 at 11:15 AM

St. Louis, Missouri, held general elections for the Board of Aldermen on April 4, 2023. All 14 seats on the board and the seat of the president of the board were up for election. Eleven incumbents, including Board President Megan Ellyia Green, won re-election. Three incumbents were defeated.

The 2023 elections were the first to take place under a new ward system that reduced the number of seats on the board from 28 to 14. Voters approved Proposition R, a charter amendment requiring the size reduction, in 2012, and the board enacted a new 14-ward map in 2021.

Ahead of the election, KDSK’s Sam Clancy and Mark Maxwell wrote, “For more than a century, 28 members of the Board of Aldermen governed the City of St. Louis. Those days are almost over.”

“Ward reduction changes have been in the making for more than a decade after voters approved the plan back in 2012. ‘Aldergeddon’ has already claimed casualties. A handful of incumbents opted not to seek re-election, shying away from a sharp-elbowed brawl against their colleagues to prolong their political career and others were defeated in the primary,” Clancy and Maxwell said. 

As a result of the reduction in board size, ten incumbents did not seek re-election in 2023. Additionally, two wards—Ward 13 and Ward 4—featured incumbent vs. incumbent races.

The three incumbents who lost were:

  • Joe Vaccaro (the incumbent in Ward 23): Vaccaro lost to fellow incumbent Bret Narayan (Ward 24) 55% to 45% in the election for the new Ward 4.
  • Norma Walker (Ward 22): Walker lost to incumbent Pamela Boyd (Ward 27) 54% to 46% in the election for the new Ward 13.
  • Tina Pihl (Ward 9): Pihl lost to Washington University staffer Michael Browning 63% to 36% in the election for the new Ward 9.

Per Proposition R, candidates elected in odd-numbered wards in 2023 will serve an initial two-year term and be eligible to run for four-year terms after that. Candidates elected in even-numbered wards will serve four-year terms. The president of the Board of Aldermen, a separate position elected at large, will also serve a four-year term.

Another initiative affecting the 2023 election, Proposition D, was approved by voters in 2020. The measure made elections open and nonpartisan for the offices of mayor, comptroller, president of the Board of Aldermen, and the Board of Aldermen. The measure also changed the primary election system from plurality voting to approval voting, a voting system in which voters may vote for any number of candidates they choose. Nonpartisan primaries took place on March 7, 2023, and the top two candidates in each primary advanced to a general election.

The Board of Aldermen is St. Louis’ equivalent of a city council. It is the city’s primary legislative body, responsible for adopting the city budget, levying taxes, and making or amending city laws, policies, and ordinances. The President of the Board is responsible for presiding over board meetings.

St. Louis also held a nonpartisan general election for a seat on the community college board on April 4, 2023. Nicole Robinson defeated Incumbent Pam Ross in that election. The filing deadline for that election was Dec. 27, 2022.



Four incumbents lose re-election in primaries for downsized Board of Aldermen in St. Louis

By Juan Garcia de Paredes
In Local
March 19, 2023 at 12:26 PM

The city of St. Louis, Missouri, held nonpartisan primaries for the Board of Aldermen on March 7, 2023. All 14 seats on the board and the seat of the president of the board were up for election. The top two candidates in each primary advanced to an April 4 general election.

The 2023 primary was the first to take place under a new ward system that reduced the number of seats on the board from 28 to 14. The reduction in board size was part of Proposition R, a charter amendment passed by voters in 2012 that took effect on Jan. 1, 2022. In accordance with Proposition R, the board passed new ward maps in 2021.

Eighteen incumbents, including the board president, filed to run for re-election in the downsized board. Fourteen advanced to the general election. Four were defeated in the primary and did not advance to the general election. 

Ten incumbents did not seek re-election in 2023.  

As a result of the reduction in the size of the board, four wards—the 4th, 9th, 13th, and 14th—had multiple incumbents running against each other in the primary. 

Two wards—Ward 6 and Ward 7—were open, meaning no incumbents filed to run in those primaries. 

Two primaries were uncontested. Shane Cohn (the incumbent in Ward 25) ran for re-election unopposed in Ward 3. President of the Board Megan Ellyia Green also ran unopposed for re-election. 

The closest primary took place in the 9th Ward. Two incumbents—Tina Pihl (Ward 17) and Michael Gras (Ward 28)—were tied in second place with 868 votes each on Election Day. Pihl received eight additional votes after provisional ballots were counted, and advanced to the general election. Michael Browning, a Washington University School of Medicine staffer, finished in first place and also advanced.

Another initiative affecting the 2023 primary, Proposition D, was approved by voters in 2020. The measure made elections open and nonpartisan for the offices of mayor, comptroller, president of the Board of Aldermen, and the Board of Aldermen. The measure also changed the primary election system from plurality voting to approval voting, a voting system in which voters may vote for any number of candidates they choose. In St. Louis, the top two candidates in the primary advance to the general election.

Candidates elected in odd-numbered wards in 2023 will serve an initial two-year term and be eligible to run for four-year terms after that. Candidates elected in even-numbered wards will serve four-year terms. The president of the Board of Aldermen, a separate position elected at large, will also serve a four-year term.

The Board of Aldermen is St. Louis’ equivalent of a city council. It’s the city’s primary legislative body, responsible for adopting the city budget, levying taxes, and making or amending city laws, policies, and ordinances. The President of the Board is responsible for presiding over board meetings.

The filing deadline for this election was January 6, 2023. The general election is scheduled for April 4, 2023.



Three more states withdraw from voter data organization

By Mercedes Yanora
In State
March 13, 2023 at 5:06 PM

Missouri, Florida, and West Virginia withdrew from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) on March 6. Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) said the state was withdrawing because ERIC would not “require member states to participate in addressing multi-state voter fraud.” West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner (R) said, “It truly is a shame that an organization founded on the principle of nonpartisanship would allow the opportunity for partisanship to stray the organization from the equally important principle of upholding the public’s confidence.”

ERIC Executive Director Shane Hamlin said, “ERIC is never connected to any state’s voter registration system. Members retain complete control over their voter rolls and they use the reports we provide in ways that comply with federal and state laws.” Hamlin also said ERIC “follow[s] widely accepted security protocols for handling the data we utilize to create the reports.”

The announcements follow withdrawals by Alabama and Louisiana in January of 2023 and 2022, respectively. According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit organization of member-states who share information like voter registration and motor vehicle registration records in order to improve the accuracy of each state’s voter rolls. Twenty-eight states and Washington, D.C. remain members of ERIC.

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St. Louis set to hold first primaries for downsized Board of Aldermen on March 7

By Juan Garcia de Paredes
In Local
February 9, 2023 at 11:09 AM

The city of St. Louis, Missouri, is holding general elections for the Board of Aldermen on Apr. 4, 2023. All 14 seats on the board and the seat of the president of the board are up for election. A primary is scheduled for March 7, 2023. The filing deadline was Jan. 6, 2023.

The Board of Aldermen is the city’s primary legislative body. It is responsible for adopting the city budget, levying taxes, and making or amending city laws, policies, and ordinances. The President of the Board is responsible for presiding over board meetings.

The 2023 election will be the first to take place under a new ward system that reduced the number of seats on the board from 28 to 14. The reduction in board size was part of Proposition R, a charter amendment passed by voters in 2012 that took effect on Jan. 1, 2022. 

In accordance with Proposition R, the board passed new ward maps in 2021. Candidates elected in odd-numbered wards in 2023 will serve an initial two-year term and be eligible to run for four-year terms after that. Candidates elected in even-numbered wards will serve four-year terms. The president of the Board of Aldermen, a separate position elected at large, will also serve a four-year term. 

Voters approved another initiative affecting the 2023 election, Proposition D, in 2020. The measure made elections open and non-partisan for the offices of mayor, comptroller, president of the Board of Aldermen, and the Board of Aldermen. The measure also changed the primary election system from plurality voting to approval voting, a voting system in which voters may vote for any number of candidates they choose. In St. Louis, the top two candidates in the primary will advance to the general election on Apr. 4. 

As a result of the reduction in the size of the board, four wards have multiple incumbents running against each other this year: 

  • In the 4th ward, incumbents Joe Vaccaro (currently representing Ward 23) and Bret Narayan (Ward 24) are running against each other. Professional photographer Casey Otto is also running. 
  • In the 9th ward, incumbents Tina Pihl (Ward 17) and Michael Gras (Ward 28) are running. Michael Browning, a Washington University School of Medicine staffer, is also running. 
  • In the 13th ward, three incumbents—Lisa Middlebrook (Ward 2), Norma Walker (Ward 22), and Pamela Boyd (Ward 27)—are running against each other.
  • In the 14th ward, incumbents James Page (Ward 5) and Brandon Bosley (Ward 3) are running. State Representative Rasheen Aldridge and real estate agent Ebony Washington also filed to run.

Two wards—Ward 6 and Ward 7— are open, meaning no incumbents are running. In Ward 6, former alderwoman Jennifer Florida is facing public relations consultant Daniela Velazquez. In Ward 7—the only ward where no current or former board member filed to run—three candidates are running: St. Louis Board of Education member Alisha Sonnier, musician Cedric Redmon, and J.P. Mitchom, the director of Equity and Inclusion at St. Louis Priory School. 

Ten current members of the board are not seeking re-election.

President of the Board Megan Ellyia Green is running for re-election unopposed. Green was first elected in a November 2022 special election to fill the seat of former board president Lewis E. Reed, who resigned after being indicted on bribery charges. 

The city of St. Louis is also holding a general election for a seat on the community college board on Apr. 4, 2023. 23. Incumbent Pam Ross and Nicole Robinson are running. The filing deadline for that election was Dec. 27, 2022.



Missouri House approves 60% vote requirement for constitutional amendments

By Nicole Fisher
In Ballot measures
February 7, 2023 at 10:51 AM

On Feb. 2, 2023, the Missouri House of Representatives voted 108-50 for a constitutional amendment to require a 60% vote requirement for referred and citizen-initiated constitutional amendments. The amendment is titled House Joint Resolution 43 (HJR 43). Of the 108 members who voted for HJR 43, 107 were Republicans and one was a Democrat. Fifty Democrats voted against the amendment.

If the Senate approves HJR 43, it will go on the ballot for Missouri voters to decide on Nov. 5, 2024.

HJR 43 also amends Article 3, Section 50 of the Missouri Constitution to include text that says: “For purposes of this article, only citizens of the United States of America who are residents of the State of Missouri and who are properly registered to vote in the State of Missouri shall be considered legal voters.”

The ballot question, as currently written, would read: “Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to: Allow only citizens of the United States to qualify as legal voters; Require initiative petitions proposing to amend the constitution to be reviewed by the voters in each congressional district; and require amendments to the constitution be approved by a sixty percent vote?”

As of 2022, in Missouri, constitutional amendments need to receive a simple majority (50%+1) vote at an election. This amendment would raise that vote requirement to 60%.

Rep. Mike Henderson (R), who sponsored the amendment, said: “I believe that the Missouri Constitution is a living document, not an ever-expanding document. And right now it has become an ever-expanding document.”

House Speaker Dean Plocher (R) also supports the amendment. “Our constitution is meant to be a sacred document, but is now one that has grown dramatically in size because of out-of-state interests that have spent millions of dollars here in Missouri to change our way of life,” he said.

Rep. David Tyson Smith (D) said that the language regarding citizen voting requirements would confuse voters. “We all know in this room that this is misleading language and is designed to confuse people,” he said. Travis Crum, professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis, said that “Article VIII, Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution limits the right to vote to U.S. citizens.”

Rep. Peter Merideth (D) opposes the amendment, saying, “We’re attacking that fundamental power that lies in the hands of the people. That’s a slap in the face to the people in Missouri.”

Currently, when it comes to the voter approval of constitutional amendments, 38 states require a simple majority vote, while 11 states have some other type of requirement in place. Delaware is the only state that does not require any voter approval for constitutional amendments.

In 2022, three states had questions on the ballot that proposed a supermajority requirement for certain ballot measures. Arkansas voters rejected Issue 2, which would have required a 60% supermajority vote requirement for all constitutional amendments and voter-initiated state statutes. South Dakota voters rejected Amendment C in June of 2022, which would have required a 60% supermajority vote for ballot measures that would increase taxes. Arizona voters approved Proposition 132, which created a supermajority requirement for ballot measures that approve taxes (other measures continue to require a simple majority vote).

Currently, there are no certified ballot measures in Missouri for 2024. Historically, there have been 79 legislatively referred constitutional amendments on the ballot in Missouri between 1985 and 2022. Fifty-four (68%) have been approved and 25 (32%) have been defeated.

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All candidates for St. Louis Board of Aldermen President in Missouri complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

By Ballotpedia staff
In 2022 elections
November 7, 2022 at 5:14 PM

Both of the candidates running in the November 8, 2022, general election for St. Louis Board of Aldermen President in Missouri — John Coatar and Megan Ellyia Green — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office. 

According to the St. Louis website, the Board of Aldermen “is the legislative body of the City of St. Louis and creates, passes, and amends local laws, as well as approve the City’s budget every year. There are twenty-eight aldermen, one from each ward in the City and a President.” 

Here are excerpts from candidates’ responses to the question: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? 

Coatar:           

“I am interested in keeping the City of St. Louis safe, ensuring that quality city services work for all, supporting organized labor and working families, improving the infrastructure of the City, promoting responsible development, and building meaningful and effective coalitions throughout the city. “

Green:               

“I am passionate about about policy that builds a Saint Louis for all. Economic policy that produces a Saint Louis where workers are paid what they deserve, where worker’s right to have a union is protected, have protected. Policy that ensures our children have high quality and affordable education from an early age, where parents don’t have to pay a mortgage or forego basic necessities to cover the cost of childcare.”

Click on the candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.

We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.

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All candidates for Missouri State Senate District 22 complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

By Ballotpedia staff
In 2022 elections
October 24, 2022 at 4:15 PM

Both of the candidates running in the November 8, 2022, general election for Missouri State Senate District 22 — Benjamin Hagin (D) and Mary Coleman (R) — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.

Eighty-eight of the country’s 99 state legislative chambers will hold regularly scheduled elections in 2022. The Republican Party controls both chambers of Missouri’s state legislature. Missouri is one of 23 states with a Republican trifecta.

Here are excerpts from candidates’ responses to the question: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?                    

Hagin:

“Womens rights are under attack. When Roe was overturned a trigger law immediately banned abortion in the state with no exception for rape or incest. I believe that women should make their own healthcare decisions not the state. Education, both of my children graduated from the public school system, so even though I do not have kids in school, it is still the best investment we can make in society.”

Coleman:           

“I will fight to stop liberals from defunding the police. We must fully support law enforcement officials and give them the tools to stop violent crime and illegal immigration, and stop the cartels from flooding our state with illegal drugs. I will fight to keep Missouri jobs in Missouri and stop the liberals in D.C. from moving our jobs to the coasts and foreign countries.”

Click on candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.

We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.

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All candidates for Jackson County Legislature District 1 in Missouri complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey

By Ballotpedia staff
In 2022 elections
October 24, 2022 at 4:12 PM

Both candidates running in the November 8, 2022, general election for Jackson County Legislature District 1 in Missouri — Manny Abarca (D) and Christina McDonough Hunt (R) — completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. These survey responses allow voters to hear directly from candidates about what motivates them to run for office.

The Jackson County Legislature functions as the county’s legislative body. It enacts all county ordinances, which are subject to approval or veto by the county executive, and appoints the county clerk and county auditor. The Jackson County Legislature has nine members who are elected to four-year terms.

Here are excerpts from candidates’ responses to the question: What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?                    

Abarca:

  • “If we don’t curb the impact of extreme spikes in property taxes, we will drive out the very folks that make us such a diverse and vibrant County.”
  • “We must strengthen our economic development efforts in Jackson County.”
  • “A regional approach to every priority, from the redesigning of our publicly funded healthcare systems, to a regional transit systems that balances entertainment and workforce commutes.”

Hunt:           

  • “Fair Property Tax Assessments- Property taxes must be fair, and it begins with fair assessments.”
  • “Crime & Drugs – Drugs are a major issue in our communities. I stand for funding of community programs and groups that educate and work to prevent drug use and distribution.”
  • “A Balanced and Economical Budget – I believe in a balanced, fair, and economical budget. Excess spending hurts our community.”

Click on candidates’ profile pages below to read their full responses to this and other questions.

We ask all federal, state, and local candidates with profiles on Ballotpedia to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Ask the candidates in your area to fill out the survey.

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Missouri voters to decide on marijuana this November

By Nicole Fisher
In 2022 elections
October 18, 2022 at 11:59 AM

Five measures will be on the Missouri ballot on November 8. One ballot measure, Amendment 3, would legalize the sale, possession, and use of marijuana in Missouri. 

Amendment 3 would also provide for individuals with certain marijuana-related offenses to petition for release from prison or parole and probation and have their records expunged. It also would enact a 6% tax on the sale of marijuana.

Amendment 3 is one of five marijuana measures on the ballot nationwide this November. Marijuana legalization will also be on the ballot in Arkansas, Maryland, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

As of 2022, 19 states, along with Washington, D.C., had legalized the possession and personal use of marijuana for recreational purposes. Eleven states and Washington D.C. have used the ballot initiative process to legalize marijuana, while in seven states, bills to legalize marijuana were enacted into law. In one state, New Jersey, the legislature referred a measure to the ballot for voter approval.

Polling on Missouri’s Amendment 3, done by Emerson College Polling/The Hill from September 23 to September 27, showed that 48% of likely voters surveyed supported the measure, while 35% of likely voters surveyed opposed the measure (with 17% undecided). 

The Kansas City Star Editorial Board endorsed Amendment 3, writing, “It’s been four years since almost 66% of Missouri voters approved medical marijuana. If state lawmakers wanted legal recreational pot in Missouri, as some have argued, we would have it. So let the people decide. In our view, the benefits of recreational cannabis outweigh some of the technical issues raised by critics.”

Supporters of Amendment 3 include the ACLU of Missouri, the Missouri AFL-CIO, NORML KC, and the St. Louis City branch of the NAACP. Erik Altieri, the executive director of NORML, said that the majority of Missouri residents want to end the prohibition on marijuana. “Recent polling reveals that a majority of Missouri residents are ready and eager to end their state’s failed marijuana prohibition,” said Altieri, “That is because Missourians, like the overwhelming majority of all Americans, recognize that prohibition is a disastrous and draconian practice best cast into the waste bin of history.”

Opponents of Amendment 3 include Gov. Mike Parson (R), the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, the Missouri Catholic Conference, and the Missouri Constitutional Conservatives PAC. “Amendment 3 says a court cannot prohibit a person on bond, probation, or parole from continuing to use marijuana,” said the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys in a statement, “Further, in less serious cases involving medical marijuana users, if sentenced to participate in one of Missouri’s treatment courts, Amendment 3 attempts to require courts to allow defendants to continue to get high on marijuana regardless of the circumstances or their addiction. This is a threat to the safety of our communities and kids.”

The Missouri NAACP, breaking with the St. Louis City and St. Louis County chapters, also opposes Amendment 3, saying that the measure “does not increase the number of available full market licenses,” and that “the expungement program is dependent on legislative authorization funding and so doesn’t actually exist.” 

Voters will decide on Amendment 3 on November 8, 2022. Amendment 3 needs a simple majority vote to be ratified.

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