Missouri Realtors take home win with failed Amendments 4 and 5
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
After months of campaigning against Amendments 4 and 5, the Missouri Realtors are taking home a win as Missouri voters turn down the ballot measures.
Missouri Realtors campaign spokesperson Scott Charton cheered the election night crowd of about 40 people around 8:15 p.m. after preliminary results rolled in, showing the amendments were likely to fail.
"The people have spoken. The people spoke loudly, clearly and overwhelmingly. Amendments 4 and 5 have been soundly defeated," Charton said to a crowd of cheering supporters. "Amendments 4 and 5 have been buried so deep in citizen rejection, they should never come back."
Gov. Mike Kehoe, a long-time proponent of eliminating the state income tax, posted on social media following the called races, saying he would continue to work to give Missourians tax breaks.
Throughout this conversation on eliminating the state income tax, we made the case that Missouri should think boldly about its future, challenge the status quo, and pursue policies that make our state more competitive.
— Governor Mike Kehoe (@GovMikeKehoe) August 5, 2026
While Amendment 5 did not earn the support it needed, I…
Missouri Realtors president-elect Brent Sager said many voters he talked with while campaigning against the measures didn't like Amendment 5, which would have allowed lawmakers to phase out the state income tax.
"I hear from everybody, 'No on 5, no on 5," Sager said. "I've talked to a lot of staunch Republicans that have told me, 'I'm the furthest right feather on the right wing of that bird,' and I ask, 'Well, what do you think about five,' and they say, 'No position on five."
The Missouri Realtors PAC has spent millions against Amendment 5 through Missourians for Fair Taxation PAC because they believe the ballot measure would have dramatically raised sales taxes to make up the revenue loss from the state income tax.
Lawmakers have indicated that if the income tax is phased out, then sales tax could go up, and the sales tax base could be expanded. However, state Rep. Bishop Davidson (R-Republic) said there would be exemptions for essentials like healthcare, real estate and groceries.
Davidson said it would close loopholes in Missouri law that prevent sales tax from being collected on things like services.
However, those exemptions are not written into the law, and voters will have to trust lawmakers to keep their promises.
Missouri Realtors are also opposing Amendment 4 through the PAC Missourians for Fair Governance. If it had passed, that ballot measure would have required a majority of voters in all eight of the state's congressional districts to approve a referendum. Opponents say it could take 5% of voters to turn down any petition.
"Our fellow Missourians have sent a powerful message to Jefferson City: The people are in charge. The majority rules, and every citizen's vote counts equally," Charton said.
Proponents, including Gov. Mike Kehoe and the Missouri Farm Bureau, claim this will make it harder for out-of-state interest groups to sway Missouri politics.
If Missourians approved Amendment 4, the law would reduce the maximum fine for people convicted of signature fraud from $10,000 to $1,000. Rep. Ed Lewis (R-Moberly) said this is to stay consistent with the Missouri Constitution.
