June - 5 - 2026
🏛️ Issue of the Week: August Ballot Amendment 1- Vote Yes
Summary
As of May 22, there are four key issues that have been strategically placed on the traditionally low turnout August ballot. The goal for putting them on the ballot in August was to turn out only voters who deeply hold extreme positions, hoping the general voting population doesn’t pay attention in the summer.
Over the month of June, my plan is to discuss each of the four Amendments that will appear on the August ballot. I hope you will use this newsletter to become informed and talk to your family, friends and neighbors so they can do the same. Please feel free to forward this email to them and encourage them to sign up for my weekly email.
This week, I’ll be talking about why I think we should all VOTE YES ON AMENDMENT 1- the Amendment to Protect our Public Parks and Water Sources. Here is what you should know:
Vote YES on Amendment 1- the Amendment to Protect our Public Parks and Water Sources:
Missouri Amendment 1 RENEWS the Parks & Soil Sales Tax.
Official Ballot Language For Amendment 1 Can Be Found Here: https://www.sos.mo.gov/petitions/2026ballotmeasures
• What it does: Renews the existing one-tenth cent sales tax that specifically funds state parks, historic sites, and soil conservation. This helps Missouri’s critical tourism industry as well as helps keep our water and soil safe for our agricultural industry.
• This tax has been around since1984 and is a renewal of an existing tax built into our economy. It has been renewed four times since1984.
• If Amendment 1 fails AND the TAX EVERYTHING AMENDMENT (Amendment 5) passes: everyday citizens will not have the public spaces we do now, and our tourism and agricultural industries will not be recognizable.
Key District 33
James A Reed Wildlife Area, Lake Jacomo & Fleming Park and many other gems of our district are supported by this existing tax. While the state as a whole will be hit hard if this tax is not renewed, it will be particularly devastating for our district.
Because we have not had high turnout August elections in District 33, it would be easy for this issue not to pass. It is critical that we turn out to vote at least as much as we would in a general election. We need to let our family, friends, and neighbors know that Amendment 1 is a yes vote, and it’s happening on August 4 (with no excuse early voting starting 2 weeks before).
A Better Path Forward & Conclusion
Amendment 1 is not a particularly controversial issue. It is a renewal of a tax that has been renewed four times since it originally passed in1984.
But if the folks of Missouri don’t get informed about all of these Amendments AND turn out to vote, a very small group of power brokers controlling our government will block voters out of their say in government for decades to come. I’m asking you to read these emails, pass them on and encourage people to show up to vote in August- we can’t wait until November. It will be too late.