Missouri Voters Reject Highway Revenue Measure Following a series of successful state and local transportation initiatives the past year, on Tuesday, Missouri voters defeat a proposed statewide sales tax initiative that would have raised billions of dollars for transportation improvements. Constitutional Amendment 7, rejected by nearly 59 percent of voters, would have increased the sales tax by three-quarter percent for the next ten years which would have generated about $5.4 billion in revenue directed specifically for transportation. The legislature voted earlier this year to allow a referendum on the measure. It was originally scheduled to take place as part of the general election in November. However, Governor Jay Nixon (D), who opposed the measure, was able to get the vote moved up to the primary election held this week. This significantly reduced the amount of time the proponents of the measure, lead by the AGC of St. Louis and AGC of Missouri, had to garner the necessary support. Much of the opposition focused on sales tax versus gas tax. Exit polls showed that opponents believed that a gas and diesel fuel tax increase was the better way to fund transportation. The initiative, if successful, would have frozen motor fuels tax increases for ten years. Despite that sentiment, in 2002 Missouri voters rejected a proposed gas tax increase. Without the increased revenue, Missouri Department of Transportation’s construction budget is projected to decline to $325 million in 2017, the lowest since 1992. It currently stands at about $700 million.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 15:02:38 +0000
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