Missouri voters to KC: Re-fund your police department

Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday requiring Kansas City to increase spending on its state-controlled police department, according to The Associated Press.

The amendment effectively raises the amount of general revenue the city must use for police from 20% to 25%, the outlet reported. The Missouri General Assembly passed legislation earlier in the year to make that change, and the constitutional amendment was designed to ensure that the legislation not run afoul of the unfunded mandate provision in the state’s constitution.

Kansas City leaders like Democratic Mayor Quinton Lucas had tried and failed in 2021 to allocate part of the department’s budget to social service and crime prevention programs, according to the AP.