JOSH NORBERG

PUBLIC LIBRARY SALES TAX

Current law authorizes public library districts in certain counties to impose a sales tax of up to 0.5%. This act adds the following counties to such list of authorized counties: St. Charles, Franklin, Warren, Gasconade, Crawford, Buchanan, Iron, Madison, Maries, Miller, Christian, Greene, Jefferson, Jasper, Newton, Cass, Lafayette, Johnson, Webster, Howell, Pettis, Benton, Cooper, Randolph, Monroe, Audrain, Cape Girardeau, Barry, Lawrence, Grundy, Livingston, Saline, Pulaski, Osage, Cole, Phelps, Ste. Genevieve, Morgan, Perry, Scott, Ralls, Marion, Adair, Dent. (Section 182.802)

COURT SURCHARGE FOR LAW LIBRARIES

Currently, any circuit court may collect a civil case filing surcharge of an amount not to exceed $15 for the maintenance of a law library, the county's or circuit's family services and justice fund, or courtroom renovation and technology enhancement. If the circuit court reimburses the state for salaries of family court commissioners or is the circuit court in Jackson County, the surcharge may be up to $20. This act provides that the circuit court in the City of St. Louis may charge a filing surcharge up to $20. (Section 488.426)

This provision is identical to SB 945 (2026) and SB 18 (2025), and to a provision in HCS/HB 83 (2025), SCS/HCS/HB 176 (2025), SB 352 (2025), SCS/HCS/HB 615 (2025), SB 800 (2025), HB 1512 (2024), and SCS/HCS/HB 2064 & HCS#2/HB 1886 (2024), and is substantially similar to a provision in SCS/SB 897 (2024), SB 1023 (2024), CCS/HCS/SS/SCS/SB 72 (2023), SB 252 (2023), HB 787 (2023), HCS/HB 986 (2023), HCS/HBs 994, 52 & 984 (2023), SB 1209 (2022), HB 1963 (2022), HB 143 (2021), HB 1554 (2020), HB 1224 (2019), HCS/HB 1083 (2019), HB 1891 (2018), SB 288 (2017), HB 391 (2017), and SB 812 (2016).

JOSH NORBERG

JOSH NORBERG

This provision is identical to SCS/SB 161 (2023) and to a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 154 (2023), and is substantially similar to HB 1418 (2024), HB 1464 (2024), HB 2174 (2024), HB 260 (2023), HB 452 (2023), HB 591 (2023), HB 896 (2023), HCS#2/HB 1992 (2022), HB 1817 (2022), and HB 2530 (2022), and to a provision in HB 2815 (2024), HB 2887 (2024), HB 377 (2023), HCS/HBs 876, 771, 676 & 551 (2023), HB 1136 (2023), HB 1779 (2022), and HB 2249 (2022).

This act also provides that, beginning on January 1, 2027, local sales taxes imposed on food shall annually be reduced in four equal increments over a period of four years. Beginning January 1, 2031, there shall be no local sales taxes imposed on food. (Section 144.014)

This act is identical to provisions in SB 57 (2025).

JOSH NORBERG

JOSH NORBERG

Any county imposing a sales tax pursuant to this act shall establish a senior services tax commission to administer the sales tax revenue. The commission shall consist of seven member to be appointed by the county commission, and the county commission shall determine the qualifications, terms of office, compensation, powers, duties, restrictions, procedures, and all other functions of the commission.

JOSH NORBERG

In lieu of such property tax, the amendment requires a county to impose a sales tax on the sale of real property at a rate equal to the total combined rate of state and local sales taxes in effect at the location of the property, provided that all revenues generated by the tax are collected and distributed by the county in the same manner as the property tax levied prior to January 1, 2027. A taxpayer shall select whether to remit the tax due upon the transfer of the title of the property, or to remit ten percent of the sales tax due to the county collector upon the transfer of title of the property, and the remainder within five, ten, or fifteen years in equal annual installments. Financial institutions that are mortgage servicers shall pay sales tax obligations which they service from escrow accounts in one payment by the required due date.

This amendment also requires a taxpayer who purchases his or her real property prior to January 1, 2027, to remit a tax equal to the total combined rate of state and local sales taxes in effect at the location of the property multiplied by the remaining mortgage balance on such property, provided that all revenues generated by the tax are collected and distributed by the county in the same manner as the property tax levied prior to January 1, 2027. A taxpayer shall select whether to remit the tax due by December 31, 2027, 2032, 2037, or 2042, with such payment made in equal annual installments. Financial institutions that are mortgage servicers shall pay sales tax obligations which they service from escrow accounts in one payment by the required due date. (Section 4(e))

This amendment also modifies a constitutional provision prohibiting sales taxes on transactions that were not subject to tax as of January 1, 2015, by providing an exemption for the sales tax imposed pursuant to the amendment. (Section 26)

This amendment is identical to SJR 7 (2025), SJR 82 (2024), SJR 18 (2023), and SJR 59 (2022).

JOSH NORBERG

This amendment repeals state law relating to income and sales taxes and replaces it with rates as provided in the amendment. From January 1, 2029 to January 1, 2031, the individual income tax rate shall not exceed three percent. Beginning January 1, 2031, the individual income tax shall be repealed.

From January 1, 2029 to January 1, 2031, the state sales tax shall not exceed five percent except on food, which shall not exceed four percent. Beginning January 1, 2031, the total of the state sales tax, conservation sales tax, and the parks and soils sales tax shall not exceed seven percent except on food, which shall not exceed five and one-half percent. The General Assembly may increase taxes or fees in the event of an emergency.

All sales tax revenue shall be deposited into the General Revenue Fund and appropriated by the General Assembly unless otherwise restricted by the constitution, except that a portion of the funds received shall be deposited into the School District Trust Fund. The amount deposited in such fund shall not be less than the average annual amount deposited in the fund for fiscal years 2023-2027.

The sales tax shall be imposed on all retail sales of new tangible personal property and all taxable services. All existing sales tax exemptions are repealed, other than those specifically listed in the amendment or those passed by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly. The amendment requires all local sales tax rates to be recalculated to produce substantially the same amount of revenue as was produced on average for the five year period prior to January 1, 2029.

Beginning January 1, 2031, the total of all sales taxes, including local taxes but excluding transportation development districts and community improvement districts, shall not exceed ten percent. Such rate may be exceeded if a local tax is approved by the voters or it is the temporary result of a recalculation of local taxes.

This amendment also creates a property tax relief credit equal to fifty percent of the increase in taxes on a homestead to be used on the taxpayer's current property tax bill. To be eligible, the prior year's tax liability on the residence must have increased by more than five percent in a year of general reassessment or by more than two and one-half percent in a year without reassessment. To qualify for the credit, a taxpayer shall be at least sixty-five years of age; have total household income of no more than $75,000, adjusted annually based on the consumer price index; and own a residence of no more than $400,000 in appraised value, adjusted annually based on the consumer price index. Any taxpayer who claims this credit shall not also claim the Senior Citizen Property Tax Credit or any similar credit.

This amendment is identical to SJR 56 (2025), SJR 13 (2017), SJR 25 (2016), and SJR 11 (2015), and is similar to SJR 46 (2014), HJR 80 (2014), and HJR 25 (2013).

JOSH NORBERG

INCOME TAX

This amendment provides that, if all revenue triggers established by the General Assembly for the elimination of the individual income tax are met such that the top rate of tax is reduced below 1.4%, then for any tax year beginning on or after the later of January 1, 2031, or January 1 of the year in which the top rate of tax is reduced below 1.4%, no individual income tax shall be imposed by the state, provided that this provision shall not apply to any earnings tax imposed by a political subdivision or to the income tax imposed on the income of trusts, estates, or fiduciaries thereof, corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, or any other entity other than real persons.

SALES AND USE TAX

This amendment authorizes the General Assembly to expand the sales and use tax base to include the ability to tax any goods and services. Beginning January 1, 2029, any county, city, town, or village imposing a sales or use tax at a rate greater than 1%, and any other political subdivision imposing a sales and use tax at a rate greater than 0.5% shall annually adjust one or more of several tax levies imposed by such political subdivision for the purpose of offsetting any additional revenue received from the expansion of the sales and use tax base. The levies that shall be adjusted are the sales and use tax rate, personal property tax levy, residential real property tax levy, or earnings tax rate. Notwithstanding such provision, no adjustment made pursuant to this provision shall result in a reduction in funding to the public schools within or serving such political subdivision.

Beginning January 1, 2029, each constitutionally-imposed sales and use tax rate shall be adjusted in a manner provided by law in order to produce substantially the same amount of revenue as the median annual revenue that such tax produced for the three fiscal years ending prior to the preceding calendar year, as adjusted for inflation. The State Auditor shall determine any such adjustments.

Any tax or revenue increase resulting from any general law enacted by the General Assembly for the purpose of eliminating the individual income tax, provided that such general law is enacted within three years of the effective date of this amendment, shall be exempt from Hancock limitations and from constitutional provisions relating to motor fuel tax.

The Director of Revenue may promulgate rules for the purpose of clarifying and prohibiting the circumvention of the expansion of the sales and use tax base, as well as to define any terms left undefined by general law.

JOSH NORBERG

This constitutional amendment requires nonrecall petitions and referred measures to be held on a general election, a municipal election, or on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of odd-numbered years. The amendment authorizes districts to consolidate ballot issues and allows voters to approve delays up to four years in voting on ballot issues, provided that district actions taking during the delay shall not extend beyond that period.

The amendment requires a district to mail notice to each active registered elector with specific titles, as described in the amendment. Such notices shall include a summary both for and against the proposal.

In addition to existing constitutional requirements for voter approval of new or increased taxes, this amendment requires voter approval for any new tax, tax rate increase, mill levy above the prior year rate, valuation for assessment ratio increase for a property class, extension of an expiring tax, or a tax policy change directly causing a net tax revenue gain to any district. Voter approval shall also be required for the creation of any multiple fiscal year direct or indirect debt or other financial obligation whatsoever without adequate present cash reserves pledged irrevocably and held for payments in all future fiscal years.

The amendment requires each district to reserve a portion of its fiscal year spending to be used only for declared emergencies, as described in the amendment.

The amendment places a limit on the percentage change in state appropriations equal to inflation plus the percentage change in state population in the prior calendar year, adjusted for any revenue changes approved by voters. The amendment also places a limit on the annual percentage change in a local district fiscal year spending equal to inflation plus local growth.

If revenue from sources not excluded from fiscal year spending exceeds the limits in dollars for that fiscal year, the excess shall be refunded in the next fiscal year unless voters approve a revenue change as an offset. Initial district bases shall be current fiscal year spending and property tax collected for tax year 2025. Qualification or disqualification as an enterprise, as defined in the amendment, shall change district bases and future year limits. Future creation of district bonded debt shall increase, and retiring or refinancing district bonded debt shall lower, fiscal year spending and property tax revenue by the annual debt service so funded. Debt service changes, reductions, refunds, and voter-approved revenue changes are dollar amounts that are exceptions to any district base.

The amendment prohibits new or increased transfer tax rates on real property. The amendment also prohibits any new state real property tax or local income tax.

The amendment authorizes districts to enact cumulative uniform exemptions and credits to reduce or end business personal property taxes.

The amendment requires real estate sales prices for past or future sales by a lender or government to be kept as public records.

The amendment allows a local district to reduce or end its subsidy to any program delegated to it by the General Assembly for administration. For current programs, the state may require 90 days notice and that the adjustment occur in a maximum of three equal annual installments.

This amendment is identical to HJR 169 (2026).

JOSH NORBERG