The Missouri Supreme Court has overturned a voter-approved constitutional amendment that required Kansas City to spend a larger percentage of its budget on the police department. The ruling, which ordered that the issue be put back before voters in November, was based on allegations that voters were misled by false financial estimates in the ballot language. The amendment, which had been approved by 63% of voters in 2022, required the city to allocate 25% of its general revenue to the police, up from the previous 20% requirement.
Democratic Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas filed a lawsuit in 2023, claiming that the ballot language did not accurately reflect the financial implications of the amendment. Despite the city informing state officials that the measure would cost nearly $39 million and require cuts to other services, the fiscal note summary presented to voters stated that there would be no additional costs or savings. The Supreme Court ruled that the summary did not accurately represent the financial impact of the amendment, leading to the decision to hold a new election on the issue in November 2024.
In response to the court’s decision, Mayor Lucas emphasized the importance of upholding the voices of Kansas City residents in decisions about public safety. He stated that the ruling was a victory for the rights of cities and their residents. Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who is running for governor, criticized Lucas for seeking to defund the police and pledged to continue fighting for adequate funding for the Kansas City police department.
Former Missouri Supreme Court Judge Michael Wolff described the ruling as unusual but noted that the state statutes do not provide a mechanism for interested parties to review the wording of fiscal note summaries prior to an election. He explained that the post-election challenge was the only available option to address inaccuracies in the summary. Kansas City, unlike other cities in Missouri, does not have local control over its police department, with a state board overseeing its operations and budget.
The amendment requiring increased funding for the police department was passed in response to concerns about potential conflicts with the state constitution’s unfunded mandate provision. Republican leaders and Kansas City officials have been at odds over police funding, with city leaders previously attempting to redirect funds from the police budget to social services and crime prevention programs. Despite the amendment’s passage, the city experienced a record number of homicides in the following year, leading to ongoing debates about the effectiveness of allocating more resources to the police department.
