Lawsuit seeks to block or rewrite ballot measure that could eliminate income tax in Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Kansas City woman is suing Missouri’s secretary of state and multiple lawmakers over language used for a potential ballot question this fall.

The lawsuit, which was filed on Wednesday, surrounds House Joint Resolution 173/174, which would put a question on whether to eliminate income tax in the state before Missouri voters.

Jill Owens, who describes herself as a taxpayer in the lawsuit, claims that the ballot question violates a section of the Missouri Constitution because it amends multiple articles and “embraces more than one subject.

Owens is seeking for the state to either get rid of the question or rewrite the ballot language, which currently reads:

“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:

• Phase-out the individual income tax based on revenue growth;
• Reduce personal property and other local taxes when local revenues increase;
• Modify the sales and use tax to eliminate income tax and reduce local taxes; and
• Protect local funding for public schools and other purposes?”

A trial setting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday June 22.