Missouri Realtors Drop $2 Million to Fight Amendment 4 Ballot Measure
The powerful trade group injected $2 million into the fight against Amendment 4, which would require citizen initiatives to win in all eight congressional districts.
JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI — The Missouri Association of Realtors donated $2 million Monday to defeat Amendment 4, adding significant funding to the campaign against a constitutional amendment that would make it harder for citizen groups to pass ballot initiatives.
The contribution to Missourians for Fair Governance came just days after the trade group spent $1,900,001 to oppose Amendment 5, a separate tax overhaul measure on Missouri’s August 4 ballot. The combined $3.9 million in donations positions the Realtors as a major force in upcoming ballot fights.
Amendment 4 Would Require District-by-District Approval
Amendment 4 would change how citizen-led constitutional amendments are approved in Missouri. Under current law, constitutional amendments proposed by initiative petition can pass with a simple statewide majority.
The proposed amendment would require citizen-led constitutional amendments to win approval in every one of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. A proposal that won statewide but failed in one district would be defeated.
The higher threshold would not apply to constitutional amendments placed on the ballot by the legislature.
Realtors See Threat to Advocacy Tool
Scott Charton, spokesman for Missourians for Fair Governance, said the Realtors view Amendment 4 as a direct threat to a process the association has used to pass taxpayer protections.
“Missouri Realtors have led citizen coalitions that successfully proposed and passed constitutional taxpayer protections for Missourians,” Charton said. “The citizen initiative is a powerful advocacy tool for Realtors’ top priority of housing affordability, and Missourians for Fair Governance is committed to protecting the peoples’ power.”
The Realtors have successfully used the initiative petition process twice in recent years. Voters approved a Realtor-backed constitutional amendment in 2010 prohibiting state and local governments from imposing new taxes on the sale or transfer of real estate.
Dual Opposition to August Ballot Measures
The $2 million donation to fight Amendment 4 followed the group’s substantial investment against Amendment 5, which would authorize lawmakers to expand or increase the sales tax to phase out Missouri’s individual income tax.
Both constitutional amendments were placed on the ballot by Republican lawmakers and Governor Mike Kehoe. The Realtors’ opposition puts the trade group at odds with the state’s Republican leadership on both measures.
The rapid succession of large donations shows the Missouri Association of Realtors’ commitment to maintaining the current citizen initiative process and opposing the proposed tax restructuring. With nearly $4 million committed to the August ballot campaigns, the organization has emerged as one of the most significant financial players in the upcoming election.
