KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Supreme Court announced Tuesday it is overturning the results of a constitutional amendment vote from November 2022 that imposed a mandatory increase of KCPD's budget.
Amendment 4, which was approved by Missouri voters in 2022, required Kansas City, Missouri, to increase the minimum spending on its police force from 20% of its budget to 25%.
With the Missouri Supreme Court's decision, the minimum mandatory spending increase has been overturned, and a new election on the question has been ordered for the statewide general election on Nov. 5, 2024.
In response to the initial amendment, the city filed a lawsuit in August 2022 against former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, the state of Missouri and members of the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.
In the lawsuit, KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas argued he had communicated to the auditor the amendment would "have a negative fiscal impact on the city by imposing additional costs on the city and its residents" and that voters made their decision "based on a misrepresentation," per the Missouri Supreme Court.
Kansas City lawmaker Tony Luetkemeyer sponsored the legislation that cleared the way for the amendment.
"The voters of every county in this state overwhelmingly passed Amendment 4 in 2022," Luetkemeyer said in a statement posted on X. "I'm confident they'll do the same this November. The mayor's radical agenda to defund @kcpolice will never take root in Missouri.
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled the auditor's summary — the last thing voters read before voting — was not an accurate summary of the auditor's fiscal note. Therefore, the issue was misrepresented to voters.
KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas sent the following statement to KSHB 41 regarding the ruling:
The Missouri Supreme Court today sided with fairness to the people of Kansas City and all Missouri voters. The voices of Kansas Citians should not be ignored in conversations about our own budget, and Missouri voters should not be, in the words of the Supreme Court, ‘misled’ about the issues before them.
In November 2022, voters were told a lie by certain statewide officials: that Kansas Citians would sustain no increased costs in having the state take control of millions of dollars of spending in the City’s annual budget. Resolving the case in favor of the voters of Kansas City, today’s ruling shows that Kansas Citians can be trusted to make and represent our own decisions.
I have always and will continue to support our public safety and the Kansas City Police Department—just last month I signed a budget giving every single KCPD officer a raise, increasing starting salaries from $50,000 up to $65,000, and exceeding KCPD’s personnel funding request. I have been proud to support and pass budget increases consistently during my tenure and look forward to continuing to do so. That said, we always will ensure the voices of our community are central in every budget conversation about essential local services.
Today’s decision is a win for Kansas City, a win for Missouri voters, and a win for those who believe in honest elections.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey also spoke out on social media after the Missouri Supreme Court released its decision.
It’s a sad day when local leaders sprint to court to stab their law enforcement in the back.
— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) April 30, 2024
As long as I’m Attorney General, my office will always DEFEND our men and women in uniform, never DEFUND them. @MayorLucasKC, you should be ashamed of yourself.
KSHB 41 News contacted Luetkemeyer and the city of Kansas City, Missouri, for comment. This story will be updated if responses are received.
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