Did Missouri approve the fiscal note summary for Bradley Ketcher's initiative petition 2026-038?

Plain-English summary

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey approved the legal content and form of the fiscal note summary for Bradley Ketcher's initiative petition 2026-038. The Department of Revenue estimated an annual loss of up to $473,665 in income and corporate tax revenue and an unknown sales-tax impact if service departments closed. Other state and local entities estimated no costs or savings.

The review under § 116.175.4, RSMo was limited. The opinion did not endorse the petition and did not examine whether the estimated fiscal impact was fair or sufficient.

What this means for you

Initiative petition proponents

The fiscal note summary for petition 2026-038 passed the attorney general's legal-content-and-form review. The opinion did not approve the petition's objectives.

Revenue and local government officials

The submitted summary reported possible income, corporate, and sales-tax effects. The attorney general did not assess those estimates' fairness or sufficiency.

Election lawyers and ballot-measure researchers

Opinion 53-2025 documents the statutory review of the fiscal note summary, not an independent fiscal analysis by the attorney general.

Common questions

Q: What annual income and corporate tax impact did the summary estimate?
A: A loss of up to $473,665.

Q: What sales-tax effect did the summary identify?
A: An unknown impact if service departments closed.

Q: What did other government entities estimate?
A: No costs or savings.

Background and statutory framework

The Missouri State Auditor submitted the fiscal note and fiscal note summary on April 18, 2025. They were prepared under § 116.175, RSMo for initiative petition 2026-038.

The attorney general issued the legal-content-and-form approval on April 30, 2025 under § 116.175.4, RSMo.

Citations and references

Statutes: § 116.175, RSMo; § 116.175.4, RSMo.

Source

• Landing page: https://ago.mo.gov/other-resources/ag-opinions/
• Original PDF: https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/53-2025.pdf

Original opinion text

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI
ANDREW BAILEY

April 30, 2025

OPINION LETTER NO. 53-2025

The Honorable Scott Fitzpatrick
Missouri State Auditor
Truman State Office Building, Room 880
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Dear Auditor Fitzpatrick:

This office received your letter of April 18, 2025, submitting a fiscal note and fiscal note summary prepared under § 116.175, RSMo, for an initiative petition submitted by Bradley Ketcher, 2026-038. The fiscal note summary that you submitted is as follows:

The Department of Revenue estimates the proposal could result in the annual loss of up to $473,665 in income and corporate tax revenue and if service departments closed an unknown impact to sales tax revenue. The other governmental entities and local governmental entities estimate no cost or savings.

Under § 116.175.4, RSMo, we approve the legal content and form of the fiscal note summary. Because our review of the fiscal note summary is mandated by statute, no action that we take with respect to such review should be construed as an endorsement of the initiative petition or as the expression of any view regarding the objectives of its proponents. Furthermore, our review under § 116.175.4 does not examine the fairness or sufficiency of the estimated fiscal impact.

Very truly yours,

ANDREW BAILEY
Attorney General

OP-2025-059

Supreme Court Building
207 W. High Street
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-3321
Fax: (573) 751-0774
www.ago.mo.gov