Parson puts KCPD funding measure on August ballot, sidestepping Supreme Court opinion
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday ordered that a new election on a measure forcing Kansas City to pay more for its police will happen in August, rejecting a November election date ordered by the state Supreme Court.
Parson’s decision follows an extraordinary Supreme Court decision last month that tossed the results of a 2022 vote in which Missourians overwhelmingly approved the measure, called Amendment 4. The court, in its majority opinion, ordered that a new election would be held on Nov. 5.
But Parson, a Republican who terms out of office this year, sent a proclamation to Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office on Tuesday moving the election date to Aug. 6. His office did not provide a reason for the decision.
In an email to The Star, Parson spokesperson Johnathan Shiflett pointed to a footnote on the court’s majority opinion that indicated state law was silent on when to schedule a do-over election.
The footnote said that putting the measure on the November ballot would “minimize disruption and expense without imposing any undue delay.”
“The Court left open the question that the Governor could order a special election in this case,” Shiflett said, quoting the footnote. “As the Court noted, the Constitution states that the Governor may place all amendments proposed without qualifying those adjudicated in court. Accordingly, it is within the Governor’s power to place the matter on the August ballot.”
The proposed constitutional amendment would require Kansas City to increase the amount of general revenue it spends on its police department from 20% to 25%. The measure has faced intense criticism from Kansas City officials who argue voters across the state shouldn’t decide how a municipality makes public safety decisions.
Whether Kansas City officials will attempt to fight Parson’s order is unclear.
Jazzlyn Johnson, a spokesperson for Mayor Quinton Lucas, signaled in an email that Parson was not adhering to the Supreme Court ruling.
“In the plain language of its opinion, the Supreme Court specifically ‘order[ed] a special election . . . be conducted as part of the general election on November 5, 2024,’” Johnson said in an email. “The law is clear. Mayor Lucas would expect adherence with the Court’s decision, so that Missourians can have a fair vote on this important local control issue.”
Parson’s Tuesday proclamation also moved to the August ballot another ballot measure that would exempt certain businesses that provide child care from property taxes.
Last month’s state Supreme Court decision to toss the results of the election came after more than 63% of Missouri voters approved the measure in November 2022.
The ruling was unprecedented and marked a major victory for Lucas, who sued over the ballot question last year arguing that voters were misled at the ballot box. A majority of the court agreed.
Johnson, Lucas’ spokesperson, said on Tuesday that Lucas was proud of his court win “on behalf of Kansas Citians and all Missourians that upheld the right of Missouri voters to have fair and accurate ballot language.”
Judge Paul C. Wilson wrote in the April opinion that the financial estimates on the ballot question that voters saw in 2022 failed to “concisely and accurately advise voters” of its impact on Kansas City.
“Worse, the fiscal note summary actually misled voters by suggesting Amendment No. 4 would have no fiscal impact when the fiscal note identified a sizeable one,” Wilson wrote.
The crux of the ruling focused on the fiscal note summary that voters saw on the ballot, which said that “local governmental entities estimate no additional costs or savings related to this proposal.”
The court found that this was misleading. Kansas City officials had submitted information to state officials showing that the ballot measure would cost the city more than $38.7 million and force the city to cut spending on other services.
The ruling also ordered that a new summary would appear on the ballot. It will state that the ballot measure would result in “an increase of $38,743,646, though the City previously provided that level of funding voluntarily.”
Parson’s office on Tuesday also said that all other ballot measures will be on the November ballot if certified by Ashcroft’s office.
This means that amendments to overturn the state’s abortion ban and legalize sports betting will appear in November if election officials verify they garnered enough signatures.
This story was originally published May 28, 2024 at 4:56 PM.
