GOP candidates for House District 60 say Amendment 5 high on voters’ minds

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Republican candidates hoping to represent Jefferson City in the Missouri House say they're hearing a lot on the campaign trail about one issue -- a ballot measure that would phase out state income tax, if approved by voters.

Missouri's 60th District covers Jefferson City south of the Missouri River. The seat is being left vacant by outgoing Rep. David Griffith, who is running for Cole County Clerk. Republicans Kyerra Johnson, Scott Spencer and Shane Kampeter are vying for the seat.

FULL INTERVIEWS: Kyerra Johnson; Scott Spencer; Shane Kampeter

Suzanne Luther is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

The tax measure, known as Amendment 5, was put on the ballot by Gov. Mike Kehoe, who is leading an initiative to eliminate income tax and create the legal power to place taxes on more goods and services.

The measure also comes as the state's budget reserves are predicted to hit new lows. The state is expected to spend more than $1.7 billion for the year, with reserves expected to shrink from around $5.8 billion in fiscal 2023 to around $600 million by the end of fiscal 2027. The fund will be fully depleted by early fiscal 2028, according to the state auditor's estimates.

Questions linger because of the uncertainty of how sales taxes would be expanded, with no concrete plan in writing from the General Assembly or Kehoe. All three Republican candidates for Missouri's 60th District have heard voters asking for more clarity.

"Their [voters'] concern is that it's very open-ended legislation, leaving it up to future legislative bodies to decide what sales taxes are going to be increased," Spencer said. "The legislature is asking them to trust them, but the legislative body only has a 45% approval rating, so I think there are some real concerns that they're going to do the right thing."

Kampeter pointed out that taxes could be expanded to services that are currently sales tax-exempt. For example, the Missouri Realtors are fighting the plan because it could put sales taxes on real estate sales.

"A lot of them [voters] are just worried that, what's it going to look like?" Kampeter said. "You get rid of one tax, that's going to have to come somewhere else, and so that's where, you know, everybody's worried, what is it going to be on? Is it going to be on that? You know, your haircuts, your lawn care, your food at grocery stores?"

Johnson said the public needs more transparency around the process.

Individually, the candidates vary in their stances towards the measure. Both Kampeter and Spencer said the amendment, as proposed, is not ready for a vote.

"I deal a lot with real estate. That was a promise that they won't go to real estate, but there's nothing down in writing. Same thing with agriculture, there's nothing down in writing," Kampeter said. "I know in Florida it's worked, but, you know, they have tourist taxes, they have oil, so it's worked there."

Spencer said the ballot issue is neither "well-defined" nor "narrowly focused."

Johnson voiced support for Kehoe adding the measure; however, she said voters need to be more informed.

"I will say that when it comes to sales tax and removing the income tax, we have to make sure that we're clear on what the angle is, where the tax is going to be picked up at," Johnson said. "I want to understand that also, because I, too, my family, were going to be affected by that as well."

For economic solutions, Kampeter suggested reviewing the state spending and making cuts to unnecessary state programs and looking at other innovative ways of economic development.

Both Johnson and Spencer similarly supported cuts to state programs across the board. However, Johnson also touched on keeping state funding focused on Missouri and its residents.