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Income tax vs. sales tax: Missouri voters decide

Missouri's General Assembly wrapped its 2026 session with a constitutional amendment that would phase out the state income tax and let lawmakers expand the sales tax to cover it.

News

KCMO voters will likely decide this year whether to begin phasing out Missouri&#x27;s income tax and let lawmakers expand sales tax to make up the difference.Why it matters: Missouri <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="collected" data-vars-click-url="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/05/14/lawsuit-challenges-missouri-plan-to-expand-sales-tax-to-phase-out-income-tax/" data-vars-content-id="48b6da0e-b181-43d8-aca1-1db64e2dd7ec" data-vars-headline="Income tax vs. sales tax: Missouri voters decide" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2026/05/14/lawsuit-challenges-missouri-plan-to-expand-sales-tax-to-phase-out-income-tax/" target="_blank">collected</a> $9.2 billion in individual income tax last year, about 65% of state revenue. Replacing that money would require adding about 8.5% to the state sales tax unless lawmakers start taxing things that are currently exempt, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reported" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/03/12/missouri-house-oks-switch-to-sales-tax-from-income-tax/179787/" data-vars-content-id="48b6da0e-b181-43d8-aca1-1db64e2dd7ec" data-vars-headline="Income tax vs. sales tax: Missouri voters decide" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/03/12/missouri-house-oks-switch-to-sales-tax-from-income-tax/179787/" target="_blank">reported</a>.

KC's guide to Memorial Day weekend

Cheer on KC's pro teams, spend time outdoors, or lean into the holiday's patriotic traditions.

Things to Do

Memorial Day marks a weekend of remembrance and the unofficial start of summer.The big picture: Whether you want to cheer on KC&#x27;s pro teams, spend time outdoors, or lean into the holiday&#x27;s patriotic traditions, there&#x27;s no shortage of options this weekend.

Worst times to drive in KC this Memorial Day weekend

AAA predicts this will be the busiest Memorial Day ever for travel.

Travel

Consider staying off Kansas City highways Thursday and Friday afternoons if you want to avoid the worst <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/23/memorial-day-weekend-2025-federal-holiday-meaning" data-vars-content-id="729b3ad1-a1d1-4e88-a782-8dee7001c9c2" data-vars-headline="Worst times to drive in KC this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/23/memorial-day-weekend-2025-federal-holiday-meaning" target="_self">Memorial Day weekend</a> traffic, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="INRIX" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ace.aaa.com/travel/advocacy/memorial-day-travel-forecast-safety-tips.html" data-vars-content-id="729b3ad1-a1d1-4e88-a782-8dee7001c9c2" data-vars-headline="Worst times to drive in KC this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ace.aaa.com/travel/advocacy/memorial-day-travel-forecast-safety-tips.html" target="_blank">INRIX</a> forecasts.The big picture: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="AAA predicts" data-vars-click-url="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2026/05/45-million-americans-planning-memorial-day-weekend-getaways/" data-vars-content-id="729b3ad1-a1d1-4e88-a782-8dee7001c9c2" data-vars-headline="Worst times to drive in KC this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2026/05/45-million-americans-planning-memorial-day-weekend-getaways/" target="_blank">AAA predicts</a> this will be the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="busiest Memorial Day ever" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/12/memorial-day-travel-forecast-record-aaa" data-vars-content-id="729b3ad1-a1d1-4e88-a782-8dee7001c9c2" data-vars-headline="Worst times to drive in KC this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/12/memorial-day-travel-forecast-record-aaa" target="_self">busiest Memorial Day ever</a> for travel — meaning your departure time could <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="make or break" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/23/travel-delays-shutdown-security-airfare-prices" data-vars-content-id="729b3ad1-a1d1-4e88-a782-8dee7001c9c2" data-vars-headline="Worst times to drive in KC this Memorial Day weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/23/travel-delays-shutdown-security-airfare-prices" target="_self">make or break</a> your trip.

CPKC Pavilion is an ode to the Missouri River

The transit hub was intentionally designed to reflect the river nearby.

It&#x27;s hard to miss the newly opened KC Streetcar stop down at Berkley Riverfront, whether you&#x27;re stepping off under its reflective roof or gaping at the glowing pylons at night.The big picture: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CPKC " data-vars-click-url="https://portkc.com/project/cpkc-pavilion-at-berkley-riverfront/" data-vars-content-id="63cfd0a1-6626-4e91-aa80-df42941fdb5e" data-vars-headline="CPKC Pavilion is an ode to the Missouri River" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://portkc.com/project/cpkc-pavilion-at-berkley-riverfront/" target="_blank">CPKC </a>Pavilion is more than just a shiny new transit hub. It&#x27;s a work of art symbolizing the Missouri River flowing nearby.

Gen Z is going to church in KC

A national uptick in religious fervor among Gen Z men is playing out in Kansas City, where half the parishioners at one Westport Catholic church are under 30.

New <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="national polling" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/16/gen-z-religion-poll-gallup" data-vars-content-id="b22ffef3-ac3d-4ff9-b28e-aa71e3b3e31d" data-vars-headline="Gen Z is going to church in KC" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/16/gen-z-religion-poll-gallup" target="_self">national polling</a> shows an uptick in religious fervor among young men, even as more churches across the country are shutting their doors.The big picture: Gen Z still has the highest share of religiously unaffiliated adults in modern history, but small hints of a religious rebound have spawned speculation about how that could reshape politics, culture wars and church strategy for years to come.

Paths, art, amenities: Construction continues at the riverfront

Port KC is working on trail upgrades, landscaping and a memorial.

Berkley Riverfront is still under construction, even now that the KC Streetcar <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="extension" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/05/18/kc-streetcar-riverfront-extension-opens" data-vars-content-id="29c6a16c-ea63-4950-a87c-2dffcb277874" data-vars-headline="Paths, art, amenities: Construction continues at the riverfront" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/05/18/kc-streetcar-riverfront-extension-opens" target="_self">extension</a> and Grand Boulevard <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pedestrian bridge" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/05/10/pedestrian-bridge-links-kcs-downtown-and-riverfront" data-vars-content-id="29c6a16c-ea63-4950-a87c-2dffcb277874" data-vars-headline="Paths, art, amenities: Construction continues at the riverfront" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/kansas-city/2026/05/10/pedestrian-bridge-links-kcs-downtown-and-riverfront" target="_self">pedestrian bridge</a> are finished.The big picture: Port KC is working on trail upgrades, landscaping and a memorial, while developers are building new structures and artists are adding some color.

Volunteers are restoring Union Cemetery

With brushes, buckets and a biodegradable cleaner, volunteers are bringing Kansas City's oldest public burial ground back to life.

Armed with brushes, buckets and a biodegradable cleaner, volunteers are quietly restoring Kansas City&#x27;s oldest public burial ground.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Union Cemetery" data-vars-click-url="https://www.uchskc.org/history/" data-vars-content-id="2e83b746-dc87-4a67-9c08-d23f93aa9a65" data-vars-headline="Volunteers are restoring Union Cemetery" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.uchskc.org/history/" target="_blank">Union Cemetery</a> holds more than 55,000 Kansas Citians, but decades of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="neglect" data-vars-click-url="https://kcparks.org/places/union-cemetery-12/" data-vars-content-id="2e83b746-dc87-4a67-9c08-d23f93aa9a65" data-vars-headline="Volunteers are restoring Union Cemetery" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://kcparks.org/places/union-cemetery-12/" target="_blank">neglect</a> and an 1889 fire that destroyed nearly all of its early records left hundreds of graves marked only by wooden stakes that have since rotted away.

KC's mental health crisis center gets another year

The city is stepping in with a $1 million contract to keep KC-ATC running as the original Ascension funding winds down.

The City Council approved a $1 million contract Thursday with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ReDiscover" data-vars-click-url="https://www.rediscovermh.org/" data-vars-content-id="256895fc-e7df-4308-9836-5e130b55be99" data-vars-headline="KC&#x27;s mental health crisis center gets another year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.rediscovermh.org/" target="_blank">ReDiscover</a> to keep the Kansas City Assessment &amp; Triage Center (KC-ATC) running for another year.Why it matters: KC-ATC is where police officers and emergency departments send people in a mental health or addiction crisis whose cases aren&#x27;t appropriate for jail or the hospital.

Paid parking is coming to Berkley Riverfront

Port KC is trying to manage traffic as the neighborhood expands.

It will soon cost to park your car at Berkley Riverfront.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Port KC" data-vars-click-url="https://berkleyriverfront.com/parkingpolicy/" data-vars-content-id="31b28931-ab8a-4f3d-a0a4-c014b566243d" data-vars-headline="Paid parking is coming to Berkley Riverfront" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://berkleyriverfront.com/parkingpolicy/" target="_blank">Port KC</a> is trying to manage traffic as the neighborhood expands and demand for space increases.

KC puts homelessness funding under audit

The city is ordering a 30-day audit of the nonprofit overseeing $20 million in federal homelessness funding.

Kansas City is rebuilding its homelessness response on two fronts: a $10 million plan to move unhoused individuals indoors and an audit of the agency overseeing the metro&#x27;s federal funding.The big picture: KC has the highest rate of chronic unsheltered homelessness of any major U.S. city, according to the<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development" data-vars-click-url="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2023-AHAR-Part-1.pdf" data-vars-content-id="a67182bd-83a2-4228-97e4-6ae0092d918f" data-vars-headline="KC puts homelessness funding under audit" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2023-AHAR-Part-1.pdf" target="_blank"> U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development</a> (HUD), and this is the biggest overhaul of the local response in years.

Heartland families are caught in a child care squeeze

Nearly half of U.S. families with young kids live in a child care desert. Missouri is betting on tax credits. Kansas is loosening rules. KC families are watching both.

An analysis from the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Center for American Progress" data-vars-click-url="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/americas-licensed-child-care-deserts/" data-vars-content-id="783123e9-9c00-49ce-ac3f-e593bd398b89" data-vars-headline="Heartland families are caught in a child care squeeze" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/americas-licensed-child-care-deserts/" target="_blank">Center for American Progress</a> finds 46% of American families with young children live in a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="child care desert" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/29/child-care-daycare-working-parents" data-vars-content-id="783123e9-9c00-49ce-ac3f-e593bd398b89" data-vars-headline="Heartland families are caught in a child care squeeze" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/29/child-care-daycare-working-parents" target="_self">child care desert</a>, and Missouri and Kansas are both grappling with how to fix it.Why it matters: When families can&#x27;t find or afford child care, parents are often forced to cut work hours, leave jobs or delay returning to the workforce altogether.

KC Current cuts game day shuttles

Team leaders want fans to use the KC Streetcar's Riverfront Extension.

The KC Current will no longer offer game day shuttles, with team leaders encouraging fans to take the KC Streetcar now that the Riverfront Extension is open.Why it matters: Fans accustomed to using the free shuttles are going to have to make other plans, which may include earlier arrivals and later departures.

Axios Latino

A line graph showing the share of Americans who say religion is "very important" in their lives from 2000-2024. The overall percentage for U.S. adults is 48%, down from nearly 59% in 2000. Among men ages 18-29, it's 42%, a recent increase, while for women in the same age group, it's 29%, a steady decrease.

News 🗞

Gen Z is going to church in KC

Paths, art, amenities: Construction continues at the riverfront

What we're eating: Tornado fries

Volunteers are restoring Union Cemetery

KC's mental health crisis center gets another year