Over the past several weeks, the Missouri REALTORS® association has publicly taken positions opposing Amendments 4 and 5. Because many consumers may not understand why a real estate trade association would become involved in statewide ballot measures, I thought it would be helpful to explain the association’s role, summarize what the amendments would do using the official ballot language and constitutional text, and explain why the association has taken those positions.
Every election season brings ballot measures that attract support and opposition from a wide range of organizations. This year, one of those organizations is the Missouri REALTORS® association, which has publicly urged Missouri voters to reject Amendments 4 and 5.
For some homeowners, that raises an obvious question.
Why is a real estate trade association weighing in on constitutional amendments?
The answer has less to do with politics than many people might assume, and more to do with the role trade associations play in representing the industries they serve.
What Is the Missouri REALTORS® Association?
The Missouri REALTORS® association is a statewide trade organization representing more than 25,000 real estate professionals. In addition to providing education, professional standards, legal resources, and advocacy for its members, the association monitors legislation and ballot initiatives that it believes could affect private property rights, housing affordability, real estate transactions, and the overall housing market.
That advocacy role is not unique to real estate. Medical associations comment on health care legislation. Banking organizations advocate on financial regulations. Home builders monitor building codes and development policy. Professional associations frequently take positions on issues they believe could affect the people or industries they represent.
The Missouri REALTORS® association has concluded that Amendments 4 and 5 fall into that category.
It is also important to distinguish between the association and its individual members. Like any large membership organization, the Missouri REALTORS® association adopts official policy positions through its governance process. Individual REALTORS®, however, remain free to hold their own political opinions and cast their own votes.
What Would Amendment 4 Do?
According to the Missouri Secretary of State, Amendment 4 would change Missouri’s constitutional initiative petition process by requiring proposed constitutional amendments to receive majority approval not only statewide, but also within each congressional district. It would also require the full text of initiative petitions to be made available with the ballot.
The constitutional language also includes provisions restricting certain foreign funding of ballot measure campaigns, creating criminal penalties for petition signature fraud, requiring public hearings before initiative petitions are placed on the ballot, and authorizing the General Assembly to enact laws implementing those provisions.
The Secretary of State’s fiscal summary states that, if approved, Amendment 4 would not increase or decrease taxes.
Why Has the Missouri REALTORS® Association Opposed Amendment 4?
According to the Missouri REALTORS® association, its primary concern is not every provision contained in the amendment, but the proposed changes to Missouri’s citizen initiative process.
The association notes that Missouri voters have previously used the initiative petition process to approve constitutional protections affecting real estate, including the constitutional prohibition on real estate transfer taxes. It believes requiring approval in every congressional district could make future citizen-initiated constitutional amendments more difficult to adopt, including measures involving property rights and taxpayer protections.
Whether voters agree with that position is a matter for each individual to decide. The association’s position reflects its view of how changes to the initiative process could affect future public policy affecting homeowners and the real estate industry.
What Would Amendment 5 Do?
Amendment 5 proposes a different type of constitutional change.
According to the Missouri Secretary of State, the amendment would require the General Assembly to phase out and ultimately eliminate Missouri’s individual income tax based on revenue growth. It would also authorize the expansion of sales and use taxes, modify constitutional limits on taxing certain goods and services, and require local tax rate reductions under specified circumstances while protecting public school funding.
The Secretary of State notes that the amendment itself would have no direct fiscal impact, but that future implementing legislation could have an unknown impact on state and local tax revenue.
Why Has the Missouri REALTORS® Association Opposed Amendment 5?
The Missouri REALTORS® association states that Amendment 5 could affect constitutional taxpayer protections that Missouri voters previously approved, including protections involving real estate transfer taxes and the expansion of sales taxes to many services.
The association believes the amendment could provide future legislatures with broader authority to expand certain taxes, potentially increasing the long-term cost of buying, selling, or owning real estate.
The amendment itself establishes constitutional authority and a framework for future legislation. The specific policies adopted under that framework would ultimately depend on future action by the Missouri General Assembly.
Why This Matters
Whether you plan to vote “yes,” vote “no,” or are still undecided, understanding why organizations become involved in ballot measures provides useful context.
Trade associations often evaluate proposed laws through the lens of the industries they represent. That does not mean every member agrees with every position, nor does it mean voters should automatically accept or reject an organization’s recommendations. It simply explains why groups such as the Missouri REALTORS® association participate in public policy discussions when they believe issues could affect housing, property ownership, or the real estate market.
As with any ballot measure, the best approach is to review the official ballot language, read the constitutional text if you want additional detail, consider information from multiple sources, and make the decision you believe is best.
Additional Resources
For readers who would like to review the original source material:
Missouri Secretary of State official ballot language for Amendments 4 and 5
Full constitutional text of Amendment 4
Full constitutional text of Amendment 5
Missouri REALTORS® Priority Campaigns page explaining the association’s official position
Karen Moeller
STLKaren.com
Karen.McNeill@STLRE.com
314.678.7866
About the Author:
Karen Moeller is a St. Louis area REALTOR® with MORE, REALTORS® and a regular contributor to St. Louis Real Estate News, helping clients make informed, data-driven decisions.
