Missouri
Will Missouri grocery stores lose shoppers to Kansas?
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas is eliminating its sales tax on groceries.
Will Missouri shoppers take their business across the state line to save money?
The state’s tax on Kansas food sales was 2%.
In Missouri, the food sales tax is 1.225% on take-home grocery food items and the revenue it generates primarily supports public schools.
Local governments levy sales taxes on groceries, potentially increasing the total tax rate up to 8%.
The Missouri Department of Revenue has an online tool that shows the full tax breakdown.
A bill to end the grocery tax in Missouri stalled in the legislature last year, with lawmakers citing lost revenue and confusion on how money from the tax would be made up.
“Frankly, I’ve lived in a couple of states where they didn’t have sales tax on food and it always works out better,” said Marcus Moses, a shopper in south Kansas City. “Oh yeah, it’s going to affect how I shop. I’m going to spend a lot more time in Kansas buying food than in Missouri.”.
Grocery store operators are paying close attention to what happens when the Kansas sales tax goes away.
Jack McCormick, KSHB 41
“It’s important to shop in Missouri, to support your state and support your stores, but I also think the store needs to do their job too to keep the customers shopping,” said Moe Muslet, who oversees Farm Fresh Market in south Kansas City. “I mean they’re looking for value, so we need to offer them value or they’re going to go somewhere else.”
Muslet knows his customers want the best deals.
“Us opening this store, we knew it was going to happen and we planned on it already, he said. “Our prices are aggressive, offering good products at good prices, nice customer service, and a store. They’ll continue shopping here.”
One couple said it’s not likely they will change where they shop.
“Where you used to go the store for $35, now it’s $60 or $65,” said Louise and Jimmy Clossick as they shopped Tuesday night. “Grocery prices are going up, so you do watch for bargains or sales. Does it make a difference in where we shop? Probably not that much; it’s more of a convenience for us.”
Jack McCormick
Gas prices will keep one Missouri shopper in the state.
“It costs more in gas to get over there and back,” Jeremy Coleson said. “And time. Time is probably the most valuable.”
Kansas officials estimate the elimination of the tax will save about $500 a year for a family of four.
Muslet says he has a plan to stay competitive at his store.
“Lowering margins, lower our margins so we are losing a little bit here, but we will gain it with increased sales we are hoping,” he said. “I don’t think the sales tax will compete with our store much, but I think their stores will.”
Six months after Missouri voters approved an abortion-rights amendment, Republican state lawmakers on Wednesday approved a new referendum that would seek the amendment’s repeal and instead ban most abortions with exceptions for rape and incest.
The newly proposed constitutional amendment would go back to voters in November 2026, or sooner, if Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe calls a special election before then.
Republican senators used a series of rare procedural moves to cut off discussion by opposing Democrats before passing the proposed abortion-rights revision by a 21-11 vote. The measure passed the Republican-led House last month.
Immediately after vote, protesters erupted with chants of “Stop the ban!” and were ushered out of the Senate chamber.
David A. Lieb / AP
Missouri’s abortion policies have swung dramatically in recent years.
When the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022, it triggered a Missouri law to take effect banning most abortions. But abortion-rights activists gathered initiative petition signatures in an attempt to reverse that.
Last November, Missouri voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to abortion until fetal viability, generally considered sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy. The amendment also allows later abortions to protect the life or health of pregnant women.
The new measure would seek the repeal the abortion-rights amendment and instead allow abortions only for a medical emergency or fetal anomaly, or in cases of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. It also would prohibit gender transition surgeries, hormone treatments and puberty blockers for minors, which already are barred under state law.
Missouri
Senate slams brakes on House’s fast-tracked plan to keep Chiefs, Royals in Missouri – Missourinet
The state House passed a last-minute attempt to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri. The incentive package would pay up to half the cost of new and improved stadiums for the teams.
Rep. Chris Brown, R-Kansas City, is sponsoring the provisions added to a Senate Bill about NIL endorsements for high school athletes. He said the plan would help to create roughly 12,000 jobs.
“You’d have to do some pretty good math to try to figure out the negative economic impact,” said Brown. “If those two franchises left our state, it would be devastating.”
Rep. Jim Murphy, R-St. Louis County, said the decision comes down to two things.
We’re talking about two teams that generate about $50 million in economic impact in taxes every year,” said Murphy. “But then there’s a whole second question, what’s the political right thing to do? Because we’ve got constituents that we’ve got to explain this to.”
The House fast tracked the bill in this last week of session. Then the Senate slammed on the brakes.
It’s the second time in two working days that the House threw the Senate a last-minute curve ball.
Last Friday, House Budget Committee Chairman Dirk Deaton unexpectedly canceled a negotiated $513 million bill to fund construction projects around the state – citing a need to save money.
The Senate’s frustration with Deaton’s move boiled over into the Chiefs and Royals package on Tuesday.
Appropriations Committee Chairman Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, said he was not necessarily opposed to the Chiefs and Royals plan. He was venting about Deaton’s spending priorities.
“I’m going to point out the hypocrisy of individuals who say they stand on principle and say they are concerned about the financial implications that are made this year and just obligated potentially $900 million worth of financing,” said Hough.
Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis, shared in Hough’s frustration.
“After all of this hypocrisy that has happened, we should just adjourn sine die,” said May. “These people making these decisions, the line is so crooked. I’ve been saying this since I’ve been here, but nobody’s listening. You want to kill our $500 million projects around the state, and then you do this bill?”
The Senate eventually adjourned Tuesday without voting on Senate Bill 80.
The legislative session ends Friday. The Chiefs plan to decide next month where their future home will be.
Copyright © 2025 · Missourinet
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