When I knock doors in the Kansas City Northland including Kansas City, Claycomo, Pleasant Valley, Randolph and surrounding areas, I hear the same thing from UAW members at the Ford plant, firefighters, teachers, and construction workers: everything costs more, but their paychecks don’t go further. That’s why I’m cautiously optimistic about Governor Kehoe’s proposal to eliminate Missouri’s personal income tax—if we get the details right.
I’m a fiscal conservative who believes in smaller government and economic growth. I’m also proudly pro-union and pro-worker. Those positions aren’t contradictory—they both start with respecting the people who show up, punch the clock, and do the work. When the state takes 5.3% out of every paycheck, that’s real money for families trying to save for a home, pay for child care, or cover an unexpected medical bill.
For a union electrician making $60,000 a year, eliminating the income tax means keeping an extra $3,200 annually. That’s a mortgage payment. A couple of car payments. Real relief. And it’s not just workers who benefit—small business owners, who are the backbone of our local economy, would see meaningful savings that they can reinvest in equipment, employees, and growth…