Senator Mike Bernskoetter

6th Senatorial District

For Immediate Release: 

Jan. 16, 2026

Capitol Building, Room 416

Jefferson City, MO 65101

Contact Kenny Ross: 

 573-751-2076

The State of the State

This month the legislative session kicked off in Jefferson City. There are many important and pressing issues before the General Assembly this year, but the most prominent is a proposal by the governor to eliminate the state income tax and replace it by expanding the sales tax. 

The income tax has been the primary way the Missouri government has funded its operations for years. During my time in the legislature, we gradually decreased the income tax from a top rate of 6.0% to 4.7%. Once revenue triggers are met, this is set to lower further to 4.5%. We have done this in a responsible manner while still fully funding the operations of state government.

The governor is proposing a total elimination of the state income tax without cutting any essential government services. The plan would be to cut excess spending and identify sales tax loopholes being used by businesses. The first step of this proposal is to put an amendment to the state constitution on the ballot that would allow the General Assembly to close those loopholes and identify additional sales tax opportunities to bring in additional monies to make up for the elimination of the income tax.

This is a major change in how the state of Missouri taxes its people. I expect that much of the legislative session will be spent working on this idea and fleshing it out. I am in favor of whatever I can do to see the tax burden on working Missourians be lowered, but I also do not want to cause any massive distortions to how our state economy operates by dramatically increasing sales tax. The devil is in the details as this proposal works itself through the legislative process. 

I am glad that nothing will go forward on this issue without the approval of the voters of Missouri. Any amendment to the Constitution must be approved by a majority of voters. The plan is to put this amendment on the ballot for the 2026 election. 

Please feel free to contact my office at 573-751-2076. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Bernskoetter.