ST. LOUIS — A proposed sales tax hike for early childhood education will not reach ballots in November because state law restricts the city’s ability to subsidize child care costs.
A change to the state law was passed by the Missouri Senate’s Select Committee on Empowering Missouri Parents and Children on April 30, but has not seen action since then.
The state bill was stymied by the Democrats’ record-breaking filibuster in the Senate this week, according to Charli Cooksey, CEO of WePower, an advocacy group pushing for new sales taxes in ºüÀêÊÓƵ city and county.
Cooksey posted on social media site X that the group “will keep the good fight going with integrity.â€
Child care and public school advocates sparred Monday during an aldermanic hearing for the city’s bill that would place a half-cent tax increase on the November ballot “to provide funds to improve the quality, affordability, and access to early childhood education in the City of ºüÀêÊÓƵ for children aged 5 years and under.â€
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WePower has also suspended signature gathering to get a 3/8-cent sales tax increase on ballots in ºüÀêÊÓƵ County, which would raise an estimated $76.5 million annually, Cooksey said.
State law restricts the ability of local governments to raise taxes to subsidize child care tuition, workers’ salaries or additional seats. The early childhood education system in the city primarily consists of for-profit day care centers and free preschool at ºüÀêÊÓƵ Public Schools, neither of which could be funded through the sales tax.
The SLPS board voted Monday to oppose the tax, citing the increased burden on low-income families and lack of oversight on the spending.