Missouri's Zero Income Tax Plan Sparks Education Funding and Budget Worries

Missouri lawmakers are weighing a ballot measure to eliminate the state income tax, potentially paired with a sales tax expansion, a move supporters say would boost competitiveness and give residents more take-home pay; critics warn it could devastate public education funding and hit lower- and middle-income families hardest, citing Kansas' 2010s tax cuts that left a budget shortfall and districts cutting time and money for schools. The plan's supporters argue revenue growth could offset losses, but evidence from other states is mixed and opponents question whether a switch to higher sales taxes would really help the budget or residents.