Missouri voters will weigh in 鈥� again 鈥� on whether Kansas City must increase funding to its police department on Aug. 6, following a decision from the state supreme court.
In an issued Tuesday, the Missouri Supreme Court ordered Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft to 鈥渢ake all actions necessary to effect this remedy, and notice of the special election is to be given as if the proposal were going before the voters for the first time.鈥�
In 2022, voters passed Amendment 4, the that required Kansas City to increase its police funding from 20% to 25% of its general revenue.
The latest ruling updates a late April decision from the Missouri Supreme Court to . At the time, the court ordered a new election for Nov. 5 and included new language for the ballot measure.
The court said the state auditor鈥檚 fiscal note summary that accompanied the ballot question was inaccurate and so misleading to voters that the only remedy was to redo the election in November.
But Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, announced last week that the ballot measure would appear on the August ballot instead, along with other constitutional amendments. Ashcroft then certified the ballot question for Aug. 6, 10 weeks from now.
Mayor Lucas, who asked the court on May 31 to block Ashcroft from putting the amendment on the August ballot, said Tuesday, 鈥渨e understand and respect the rule of law in our country.鈥�
鈥淲e continue to appreciate the court鈥檚 ruling in favor of Mayor Lucas, local control for the people of Kansas City, and fair election. We also respect the court鈥檚 rewording issued today, which now makes the Secretary鈥檚 prior unlawful action all good,鈥� he .
In his motion last week, Lucas argued that Ashcroft, a Republican, acted prematurely and in 鈥渄irect defiance鈥� of the state supreme court鈥檚 decision.
In Tuesday鈥檚 ruling, the court clarified that when the governor and secretary of state set the election date for Aug. 6, no mandate had been issued and the court鈥檚 April 30 opinion was not final.
鈥淎s a matter of comity and to accommodate the governor鈥檚 apparent desire to have the question decided on that date, one of those modifications is to change the date of the special election now called by this Court from November 5 to August 6, 2024,鈥� the court opinion states.
The court clarified that it did not decide whether Gov. Parson had the authority to move the date of a 鈥渞emedial 鈥榮pecial election.鈥欌��
The 2022 election followed a state law that called on Kansas City to increase its police funding. Kansas City is the only major city that does not control its own police force 鈥� but the state legislature city spending without putting it before voters.
Voters passed it with 63% statewide, though the Kansas City portion of Jackson County rejected it by 61%.
In his May filing, Lucas also challenged the Supreme Court鈥檚 wording of the new ballot question, arguing that the court鈥檚 language would suggest that the state law that triggered Amendment 4, and ultimately forced Kansas City to increase its police funding, can retroactively be enforced. The court denied Lucas鈥檚 motion to modify the language.
The ballot language for Amendment 4, which voters will see in August, will read:
鈥淪hall the Missouri Constitution be amended to authorize laws, passed before December 31st, 2026, that increase minimum funding for a police force established by a state board of police commissioners to ensure such police force has additional resources to serve its communities?
This would authorize a law passed in 2022 increasing required funding by the City of Kansas City for police department requests from 20% of general revenue to 25%, an increase of $38,743,646, though the City previously provided that level of funding voluntarily. No other state or local governmental entities estimate costs or savings.鈥�
