Missouri voters were projected to approve Amendment 1, also known as the Parks, Soil, and Water tax, with more than 80% of the vote in favor.
Originally passed in 1984, the levee includes a one-tenth of one percent sales tax that funds Missouri state parks and historic sites as well as soil and water conservation programs throughout the state. For every $100 spent, ten cents is added to the levee and split evenly between the tax’s priorities. The tax makes up about 75% of Missouri State Parks budget and brought in around $69.9 million in 2025.
Often cited as the funding mechanism through which Missouri can provide free admission into its state parks, the tax has since survived five state-wide votes in 1988, 1996, 2006, 2016 and 2026.
Kendra Varns Wallis is the president of the Missouri Parks Association, a nonprofit that fundraises and volunteers on behalf of Missouri’s state parks. The organization also helped lead the amendment's original petition process in the 80s. She said the amendment's passage shows this tax is something both parties can agree on.
“It has a lot of reach, a tiny investment with a big return,” Wallis said.
Millions of dollars in campaign spending have led to a crowded election season dominated by the nine constitutional amendments spread between the August and November ballots. Prior to Tuesday’s vote, parks tax advocates worried the levee might be overshadowed by the fight for Amendment 5.
A major priority for Governor Mike Kehoe, Amendment 5 would’ve allowed lawmakers to phase out the state income tax in favor of an expanded sales tax. Amendment 5 was rejected by voters during today's election.
Unlike a traditional amendment, Missouri’s constitution stipulates that the Parks, Soil, and Water tax shall be placed before voters every decade. In her opinion, Wallis said voting on the tax every 10 years keeps everyone involved accountable
“It makes the employees, the visitors, the people who contract with state parks, everyone's accountable to be the best that they can be,” Wallis said in a previous report. “And then every 10 years, you're graded on it for people to renew.”
Missourians can expect to see the Parks, Soil, and Water tax back on the ballot come 2036.
