Missouri legislators must avoid rehashing dysfunctional past failures in 2025 session | Opinion

Missouri lawmakers return to work on Jan. 8 in Jefferson City, with some new faces in the General Assembly and a new governor, Mike Kehoe, set to take office Jan. 13.

We wish them the best. We hope legislators arrive in the capitol prepared to make their state a better place to live, work, learn and grow. There are real opportunities to do that.

Sadly, there will also be opportunities for disaster. The 2024 session was a dysfunctional nightmare, with far-right ideologues in the state Senate preventing progress at every turn. If lawmakers act in bad faith, we could see a repeat.

Missouri cannot afford another failed legislature. That’s why any list of to-do items for lawmakers must begin with a not-to-do list: Every minute spent on already-decided issues takes time away from needed tax reform, anti-crime legislation and economic development concerns.

We think Gov.-elect Kehoe will play a key role here. While we supported his opponent, we think Kehoe has the opportunity to provide commonsense leadership for a state government that too often lacks it. Missourians should expect such leadership in the months ahead.

With that in mind, here’s a sensible agenda for the 2025 session.

Follow the voters’ will

Missourians made their voices heard in November by endorsing a broad right to abortion services when they approved Amendment 3 by a 3.2% margin.

Anti-abortion rights legislators say the difference was so narrow voters should be given another chance in a future election. Their claim does not stand up to scrutiny: Amendment 3’s margin is twice the size of President-elect Donald Trump’s national popular vote victory, which they routinely call a landslide.

Missourians knew what they were voting on in November, despite legislative claims to the contrary, and they should be respected. Amendment 3 passed. Lawmakers should not put abortion back on the ballot this year, or next.

There will be attempts to change abortion statutes in response to Amendment 3, in order to test the limits of the right voters approved. We wish this wasn’t the case. At the same time, we have faith in the state’s courts, which will now be tasked with protecting the rights of women. That’s where the abortion issue now resides.

We also hope lawmakers reject calls to change the initiative and petition process. Unfortunately, when conservatives lose at the ballot box, they’re too often inclined to try to change the rules instead of convincing voters. Missourians like their right to pass laws, and in this country, usually, a simple majority rules.

That same principle should be applied to Proposition A, which raises the state’s minimum wage and provides paid sick leave to most private sector workers. There will be a temptation to change the law without another vote, despite strong support for the measure at the polls. Lawmakers should resist the urge to insult voters yet again.

Tax reform

Missouri’s property tax system is a tangled mess, as Jackson Countians know all too well. We support efforts to make property taxes more fair and consistent, with this warning: Cutting property taxes for some will mean higher property taxes for others.

We think property tax reform should focus on relieving the burden for lower-income Missourians first.

Electing the appraiser would not solve every problem in Jackson County, but it might give voters and taxpayers more faith in the system. Similarly, notice requirements and the appeals process should be updated and streamlined.

Lowering the cost of personal property taxes on cars and other items is also a worthwhile goal. Yet legislators should be careful. Local governments, including schools, depend on property taxes for much of their revenue. Reform should hold those governments harmless.

There is some chatter in Jefferson City about eliminating the state income tax. That would be a calamity. The burden is already low in the state, and the failed Sam Brownback experiment in Kansas is a cautionary tale. Instead, consider this: Missouri could eliminate its 1.225% sales tax on food, matching the Kansas rate, now set at zero.

Fight against crime

Gov.-elect Kehoe promises an anti-crime package. We’re anxious to see the details. We hope it provides cities like Kansas City more flexibility in dealing with violent crime, and gun possession. We hope lawmakers provide additional resources to urban areas to deal with crime concerns.

We also make this observation: Outgoing Gov. Mike Parson’s pardon of convicted Kansas City police detective Eric DeValkenaere for killing a Black man will, at minimum, increase distrust between police and the community. That’s hardly a recipe for reducing crime.

Economic development

There will undoubtedly be discussion of tax incentives for businesses in the 2025 session, including some debate over state subsidies for stadiums for the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs.

We hope the General Assembly conducted those debates in good faith. Kansas Citians should not expect the state to fully subsidize stadium upgrades and new construction, or even a substantial part of the cost. There may be an opportunity, though, for providing tools similar to those used in Kansas for the two sports clubs.

Budget and other issues

Conservatives claim the state is spending too much tax money; in fact, Missouri typically spends less public money per person than surrounding states. Lawmakers should continue to fully fund public schools, and avoid measures that divert spending away from public education.

There will be wild arguments over supposed transgender issues in schools and other public places. They’re largely a political distraction.

The legislature should fund Medicaid, and resist calls to repeal gas taxes that are crucial to maintain and improve roads in the state.

We believe a session that fully funds schools and health care for the poor, pursues modest but important tax reforms, ignores divisive debates over abortion and the minimum wage, and gives at least some attention to the stadium issue will be a success.

We hope legislators pursue that agenda before adjournment in May.