JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With little time to spare, lawmakers and the secretary of state on Tuesday speeded a proposed tax increase for transportation onto the Aug. 6 ballot.
Just two hours and 40 minutes before a 5 p.m. deadline, Secretary of State Matt Blunt confirmed the measure would reach voters this summer.
"I am pleased that the people of Missouri will have the opportunity to make their voice heard on this important issue," Blunt said. Blunt raised doubts last week about whether there would be enough time to complete the process of putting the question on the ballot. Logistics, including having enough time to inform all 116 election authorities in Missouri that the measure would be on the ballot, threatened the plan.
Passed by Missouri lawmakers in the waning hours of the legislative session that ended May 17, the original proposal calls for an estimated $511 million tax increase for roads and other modes of travel.
Voters will be asked to raise Missouri's fuel tax by 4 cents to 21 cents a gallon and its sales tax by one-half cent to 4.725 cents on a dollar.
The half-cent increase would generate a projected $297 million annually. The 4-cent gas tax increase would raise an estimated $168 million.
The fiscal note completed by State Auditor Claire McCaskill actually puts revenue at $483 million, a total that excludes growth estimates calculated by budget officials.
The problem first surfaced because the Legislature had adjourned until 1 p.m. Tuesday, which left just four hours for the certification process to be completed.
Typically, it takes about 30 days to create and certify a proposal's ballot language -- a process that involves the secretary of state's office, state auditor and attorney general. That process had begun prior to Tuesday's efforts.
Some drama accompanied the process of getting the bill signed and sent to election authorities.
The bill was signed by the presiding officers of the House and Senate shortly after 1 p.m., then was hand-carried through the chambers and Capitol hallways to the secretary of state's office in a seven-minute span. It was faxed immediately to all 116 county clerks and election boards.
Jeff Davis, legal counsel for Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, was given the job of literally running the bill through the Capitol.
"I did a walkthrough about 10 minutes ago so I knew the quickest way to go," said a winded Davis.
Rep. Don Koller, the bill's sponsor who was in the House Tuesday watching the proceedings, said he was relieved.
"I had no doubt we would get it done," said Koller, D-Summersville. "I was surprised we had to do it this way."
Gov. Bob Holden, who backed the transportation package, called Tuesday's certification "the culmination of a two-year process started last year."
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.