A constitutional amendment passed by Missouri voters two years ago, then ruled unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court, will be back before voters during Tuesday’s primary elections. Amendment 4 would require Kansas City to spend at least 25% of its budget on its police department. The renewed amendment was sponsored by State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville.
“(I) actually filed this legislation in response to attempts back in 2021 by the city of Kansas City to defund the Kansas City Police Department to the tune of over $42 million,” he told Missourinet.
Luetkemeyer said he believes the $42 million was going to be used to push “progressive” criminal justice programs that don’t really equate to law enforcement.
“It wasn’t clear whether it was going to be spent on actual law enforcement activities at all,” Luetkemeyer said. “To be clear, more mental health professionals and community programming is not law enforcement.”
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas disputed that statement. He told Missourinet that the $42 million was designated for several areas that compliment law enforcement efforts, including 911 services.
“Well, I mean, it seems like that’s just an empty bit of rhetoric and disappointing,” Lucas said. “If you look at this year’s budget, where Kansas City increased starting salaries for police officers by 30%, thousands and thousands of dollars each police officer is earning more of because of this mayor and this city council.”
Lucas opposes Amendment 4, saying “Jefferson City bureaucrats” shouldn’t decide how much money a local government spends on its local police force.
Lucas said neither he nor the city council are trying to defund the police department.
“Last year’s budget was another tremendous increase, I think, about a 12% budget (increase) from Kansas City,” he said. “I mean, again and again, I think we show that we support our police.”
Missouri voters originally passed Amendment 4 in 2022 but the results were tossed out by the State Supreme Court because of language that said it would have zero financial impact on local governments. That language has been updated to say it would have zero financial impact on OTHER local governments.
Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on August 6th, Missourinet will have reports about election night results at the top and bottom of the hour on Missourinet.com.
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