Renew the parks and conservation tax? What Missouri’s Amendment 1 means for voters
Missouri Voters will be asked the same question on Amendment 1 that they’ve been asked since 1984: Should Missouri retain a 0.1% sales tax to fund state parks and conservation programs?
The tax raised about $140 million per year, which it divides evenly between Missouri’s state parks and programs that conserve soil and water. Voters have overwhelmingly reauthorized the program, most recently gaining nearly 80% of the vote in 2016.
It accounts for about 75% of the budget for Missouri State Parks, and provides incentives for landowners to implement soil and water conservation practices. The $0.1 sales tax costs the average Missourian about $10 per year.
What is the ballot language?
The official ballot title for Amendment 1 asks:
“Shall Missouri continue for 10 years the one-tenth of one percent sales/use tax that is used for soil and water conservation and for state parks and historic sites, and resubmit this tax to the voters for approval in 10 years?
The measure allows continued collection of the existing sales and use tax, which generates revenue of approximately $140 million annually.”
The fair ballot language for a measure says that:
“A ‘yes’ vote will continue for 10 years the one-tenth of one percent sales/use tax that is used for soil and water conservation and for state parks and historic sites. This will be resubmitted to the voters for approval in 10 years.
A ‘no’ vote will not continue this sales/use tax.
If passed, this measure will not increase or decrease taxes.”
What is the tax’s history?
The constitutional amendment creating the tax was referred to voters in 1984, where it narrowly passed with 50.1% of the vote. The Constitutional Amendment has automatically gone to voters every ten years since 1996.
After its narrow passage originally, it passed with overwhelming support in each subsequent election, with support never falling below 66% and 79% of voters supporting it in 2016.
What does the tax fund?
The tax funds free admissions to state parks and historic sites, upgrades to trail systems and park amenities and upkeep on the structures, campsites and trails overseen by the Department of Natural Resources.
There are 93 parks and historic sites in the state, about 3,500 campsites, 194 cabins and over 1,000 miles of trails.
Missouri farmers have implemented more than 295,000 conservation practices since its inception in 1984, which the Department of Natural Resources says stopped more than 194 million tons of soil from erosion.
