Vote No on Amendments 4 & 5
IBEW Local 1 · Missouri · August 4 Primary

Vote NO on 4 & 5

Frank Jacobs, Business Manager of IBEW Local 1, on why these two amendments are a raw deal for working families and retirees.

Frank JacobsBusiness Manager, IBEW Local 1
Watch & share before Aug. 4
On your ballot: Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Why vote NO on 4 & 5 Canvass with us
What's at stake

Amendments 4 & 5 hurt the people who can least afford it

Governor Kehoe put two measures on the August ballot that would be detrimental to Missouri's working families, retirees, and our democracy. Here's who gets hit.

Working families

Amendment 5 could push sales tax past 18% — taxing groceries, gas, tools, utilities, home and vehicle repairs, and everyday services. It shifts the tax burden off the wealthy and onto the people who can least afford it.

Retirees & seniors

Nearly 90% of Missourians 65+ already pay little or no income tax. Amendment 5 gives them almost nothing in return — but taxes everything they buy on a fixed income they can't stretch further.

Your voice & vote

Amendment 4 makes it far harder for citizens to pass anything at the ballot box — the same process voters used to raise the minimum wage and win paid sick leave. It hands one district veto power over the whole state.

Amendment 5

The “Everything Tax”

A blank check to tax everything you buy. Amendment 5 would give lawmakers sweeping new power to expand sales and use taxes in order to phase out the state's 4.7% income tax — and it does not spell out what can be taxed, or by how much.

The math doesn't work in your favor

  • Missouri gets about 65% of its revenue from the income tax. To replace it with sales tax, the state would have to raise the sales tax by roughly 8.5 additional percentage points (Missouri Budget Project).
  • Some experts warn the combined sales tax rate could skyrocket past 18% — dramatically raising the price of nearly everything.
  • Expanding the sales tax to services could pull an estimated $1.4 billion from Missouri's public schools — meaning fewer teachers and larger class sizes.
  • Sales taxes are regressive: they take a bigger bite out of working and fixed incomes than out of the wealthy.

What could get taxed

Because Amendment 5 opens the door to taxing goods and services with no limits written in, everyday purchases are on the table:

Groceries Gasoline School supplies Utilities Home repairs Tools Vehicle maintenance Healthcare services Dental cleanings Cancer screenings Physical therapy Real estate
Bottom line: Amendment 5 trades a tax the wealthy pay more of for an "everything tax" that hits working families and retirees every single day — with no guardrails on how high it can go.
Amendment 4

Silencing voters at the ballot box

Amendment 4 would require any citizen-led constitutional amendment to pass in all eight of Missouri's congressional districts — not just win a statewide majority. Amendments the politicians put forward would still only need a simple majority.

One district could veto the whole state

Under Amendment 4, a measure could win a clear statewide majority and still fail because it fell short in a single district. As AFL-CIO President Jake Hummel put it, "we would in effect be giving one district veto power over another district."

  • Raises the bar only for citizen initiatives — not for politician-written amendments.
  • Strips citizens of a century-old constitutional right to petition and hold politicians accountable.

The process working people rely on

Missourians have used citizen initiatives to win real victories at the ballot box:

  • Raised the minimum wage
  • Won paid sick leave
  • Legalized recreational marijuana
  • Protected personal freedoms

The legislature has already moved to overturn paid sick leave and weaken the new minimum wage laws. Amendment 4 would make it far harder for voters to fight back.

"Amendment 5 shifts the tax burden from the wealthy to those who can least afford it. It's an 'everything tax,' and we could be taxed on everything from real estate to healthcare. People are going to be shocked… Both amendments must be defeated this August."

Jake Hummel President, Missouri AFL-CIO
For retirees & seniors

All cost, almost no benefit

AARP warns that Amendment 5 means higher costs for Missourians — and hits seniors hardest.

  • Nearly 90% of Missourians 65+ already pay little or no state income tax — Social Security is fully exempt and most public pension income is exempt up to the Social Security maximum.
  • So retirees get very little tax relief from Amendment 5 — but pay more on everything they buy.
  • On a fixed income that doesn't rise with inflation, unavoidable sales taxes on necessities are a real, permanent burden.

The retiree squeeze

You already earned your Social Security and pension — and Missouri already exempts most of it from income tax. Amendment 5 doesn't give retirees a meaningful cut; it just raises the checkout price on groceries, medicine, utilities, and care.

Retiree-to-retiree phone banks are running now. Want to help reach fellow retirees? See the Canvasser Toolkit.

Pass Frank's message along

The fastest way to reach a neighbor is a friend they trust. Share votenomo.org with your family, your coworkers, and your crew before August 4.

Watch again Get the toolkit
Two votes, one job

Vote NO on 4. Vote NO on 5.

Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Make a plan to vote, bring someone with you, and help us spread the word.

Join a canvass Check your registration ↗