State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer (R-Parkville) discusses Missouri Amendment Four on “Wake Up Mid-Missouri”

Missourians in all 114 counties and in St. Louis city are casting ballots in the August primary election on Missouri constitutional amendment 4. If voters statewide approve Amendment 4, it would allow the Missouri Legislature to increase minimum funding for the Kansas City Police Department. Missouri Senate Judiciary Committee chair Tony Luetkemeyer (R-Parkville), who represents 75,000 constituents in Kansas City, joined us live this morning on 939 the Eagle’s “Wake Up Mid-Missouri.” Senator Luetkemeyer tells listeners that he’s been working on the measure since 2022, saying Kansas City tried to defund the KCPD of about $42-million in 2021. Some Democratic state lawmakers say it wasn’t a defunding but was rather a reallocation of the funding. Senator Luetkemeyer disagrees, telling listeners he doesn’t want Kansas City to become another Seattle or Portland. He also says a vote for Amendment Four supports the men and women in blue. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas (D) opposes Amendment four, saying KCPD’s budget has increased since he became mayor. Missourians approved Amendment Four at the polls in 2022, but there was a legal challenge involving that measure’s fiscal note. Senator Luetkemeyer tells listeners that all Missourians are impacted by this measure, noting Kansas City is Missouri’s largest city. Passage requires a simple majority of voters statewide: