The West County Democrats hosted four excellent primary candidates for local and state-wide offices today. The Missouri Democratic party has now fielded at least one candidate for 98% of the open governmental positions within the State and they’re out there meeting folks, knocking on doors and presenting a clear message that positive change is possible. All four of these candidates are accomplished, well-spoken and deeply passionate about making our State and Region better for ALL Missouri residents. Their enthusiasm is infectious. If you want to learn more or even be involved in their campaigns, click on their names below.
Brian Williams, Former State Senator and Democratic Primary Candidate for St. Louis County Executive
Greg Upchurch, Democratic Primary Candidate for Missouri State Auditor
Claire Heinrich, Democratic Candidate for MO House District 110 (Wildwood and Clarkson Valley)
Jennifer Trickey, Democratic Candidate for MO House District 88 (Fenton, Eureka, and parts of unincorporated STL County)
In addition to our featured candidates, John Kiehne , Candidate for St. Louis County Council and Missouri State Representative Connie Steinmetz , both regulars at WCD meetings, made compelling cases for all of us all to be active and involved in State and Local initiatives– and to engage with friends and family.
Our own Legislative reporter Glenn Koenen takes a lot of guff at our meetings for all of the bad news he has to report, but to be fair, with the most corrupt Presidential administration in history and 25 years of corrosive Republican super-majority leadership in the State, there is not a lot of positive news for regular working Missourians to share. The madness can’t end until we again elect rational public servants to office. Glenn highlighted two very specific state amendments on the August ballot that WILL have a bad impact on every Missouri citizen.
Amendment 4 would effectively eliminate the initiative petition process and make us subservient to legislators who are clearly not interested in abiding with the will of the people. Vote NO.
Amendment 5 would eliminate individual state income tax to be replaced increased sales and use taxes to be named later. This would create a massive budget shortfall requiring equally large cuts in social services and education; and necessitate dramatic tax INCREASES for consumers– even on transactions like real estate. Vote NO.
The remainder of Glenn’s legislative report is here:
Legislative Report
June 8, 2026
Glenn Koenen
On June 5, 2026, a Department of Justice lawyer told a Court of Appeals that
President Donald Trump could bulldoze the Statue of Liberty and no
American would have legal standing to challenge that action in court.
Federal Items:
President Donald J. Trump gleefully hires the incompetent.
He appointed a home builder (with no intelligence background) as Director of National Intelligence, charging him with reducing the ranks within the intelligence community. He is appointing his personal lawyer – who has a lousy record in court – to be the new Attorney General. His new head of Homeland Security refused to tell Congress if he would obey federal court orders… You get the idea.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of Agriculture has asked to have her agency’s budget – most of which funds nutritional programs for struggling Americans and family farms – cut by 20%. These cuts would be atop slashed budgets required in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act which have already (in just 12 states total) kicked 700,000 kids off food stamps.
For a couple of brief moments some Republicans in Congress stood up to Trump’s bullying. That won’t last. The GOP keeps giving Trump 98% of what he demands. And, his record of ending the careers of Republicans he doesn’t like keeps righteousness in check.
For example, despite the War Powers Act the “war” with Iran is over 100 days old. (Congress, by law, needs to be consulted before 60 days expire.)
To date Trump has ordered military action in Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. He has threatened to take direct military action against Columbia, Cuba and Greenland. He has asserted a ‘right’ to intervene militarily in Mexico. Plus, he has declared his unhappiness with another dozen or so nations, such as Argentina, where the public supports leaders who are not his close, authoritarian- leaning friends.
And, while there is huge bipartisan support – and authorization – to provide military aid to Ukraine, many fear Trump will refuse to send the approved help due to his friendship with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Going back to Iran: The Pentagon’s $1.5 trillion Fiscal Year 2027 budget request (clipped to $1.15 trillion by a House committee) does not include funds directly related to the conflict with Iran, nor does it include. the cost of replacing munitions, airplanes, ground control operations, equipment and other items consumed by the war. That will be a separate request.
For the record, the June 14th spectacle of sweaty, partially naked men grappling for hours in front of the White House is not a Pride Month event.
State Items:
Someone has to be the bad example…
Let’s begin with Amendment 5, the Income Tax murder.
Judge Christopher Limbaugh in Cole County court ruled last week that the structure and wording of Amendment 5 was basically ‘good enough’ to be allowed on the ballot. At the end of the week the Western Court of Appeals affirmed the structure of the proposal but changed the ballot summary:
“Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
- Require legislative phase-out of the individual state income tax based on revenue growth, and authorize the expansion of sales and use taxes;
- Curtail constitutional limits on taxing goods and services; and
- Require local tax rate cuts without reducing school funding if local sales tax revenue increases?”
While the original wording earned an “F –“ the appeals court raised the grade to a “D.”
The Western Court’s ruling may be appealed to the State Supreme Court – which will have less than 36 hours to release a ruling before state law freezes the August Primary ballot!
Ads supporting Amendment 5 (claiming Missouri is falling behind even Arkansas in economic development) are already airing. Opponents are amassing a war chest too. Realtors have committed $1.9 million to urge a “No” vote, for example. More funds for both sides is expected.
I doubt it will be enough. Already I am hearing from folks outstate that the appeal of no income tax overshadows common sense talk of ‘how are we going to pay for schools?’ Remember, for better than a generation Missouri Republicans have claimed that Missouri does not have a revenue problem. The state takes in more than enough revenue to meet its needs; the system is just so overwhelmed by waste and fraud that more money is wasted than well spent.
Amendment 4, also on the August ballot, would eliminate virtually any chance of an initiative petition being approved by voters. To prevail, it will require a positive vote in all eight Congressional districts.
In 2022 just under 1,030,000 Missourians voted in the August primary. That November more than 2,000,000 voted in the November General Election. Across the state Republicans have many more Primary contests than Democrats. Putting the Income Tax and initiative amendments on the August ballot gives them a better chance at success.
By the same reckoning, the repeal of the abortion rights amendment (camouflaged as ‘protecting kids from trans surgery) stands a better chance on the more popular November ballot.
Also, the referendum to overrule the legislature’s new Congressional map seems destined for the November ballot. The state will argue that the legislature’s map – even if eligible for a vote to overturn it– ought to be used in the November elections.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, as we’ve discussed, will shift hundreds of millions of dollars a year in cost for benefit programs from Washington money to Missouri funds. It is looking probable that the Kehoe administration will severely cur or eliminate big chunks of food stamps, W.I.C., school meal programs, Medicaid and such rather than pay to maintain them.
For example, there are rumblings in the Capitol that the governor may call a special session to preemptively end expanded Medicaid because Missouri can no longer ‘afford’ to do the will of voters.