Mike Kehoe’s plan to eliminate income tax would make a stronger Missouri | Opinion

Gov. Mike Kehoe’s plan to phase out Missouri’s personal income tax is exactly the kind of bold, forward-looking leadership our state needs. It is a proposal grounded in a simple but powerful principle: Hard work should be rewarded, not punished. By allowing Missourians to keep more of what they earn, this plan would strengthen families, energize our economy and help secure a brighter future for the next generation.

For too long, Missouri’s tax system has taken money directly out of every paycheck, making it harder for families to get ahead. When government taxes work, it discourages productivity and limits opportunity. Kehoe’s plan reverses that mindset. It recognizes that individuals and families know how to use their own money better than government does. When people are allowed to keep more of what they earn, they spend it in their communities, invest in their futures and create economic growth that benefits everyone.

This reform is also long overdue. Missouri’s personal income tax was written for an economy that no longer exists. It dates back nearly a century, long before the digital age, remote work, online businesses and modern entrepreneurship reshaped how people earn a living. Today’s economy is flexible, mobile and competitive. A tax system rooted in another era cannot keep pace with those realities or support long term growth.

If Missouri wants to remain competitive, we must adapt. Other states have already recognized that lower tax burdens attract workers, businesses and investment. Young professionals and families have the freedom to choose where they live based on opportunity and quality of life. Eliminating the personal income tax makes Missouri a place they will choose to build their careers, raise their children and invest in their communities.

Kehoe’s plan also reflects a commitment to responsible governance. Tax relief must go hand in hand with fiscal discipline. Families balance their budgets every day, and government should do the same. By pairing tax reform with smart spending controls, this proposal ensures that essential services remain strong while allowing taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned dollars. Politicians can’t just keep inflating the state budget and expect farmers, blue collar workers and small businesses to foot the bill. That’s unsustainable.

Gov. Kehoe is keeping his word to the people by advancing a plan that rewards effort, modernizes outdated policy and looks toward the future. By phasing out the personal income tax, Missouri can invigorate its economy and ensure that the next generation sees our state as a place of opportunity, freedom and promise.

Kay Hoflander of Higginsville is former chair of the Missouri Republican Party.