MO Voters Approve Parks, Soils, and Water Sales Tax

Overview

• Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved Amendment 1 on the August 4, 2026 primary ballot.
• The measure renews the Parks, Soils, and Water Sales Tax, and enables free admission to Missouri State Parks.
• Missourians for Responsible Transportation supported the measure as part of the "Citizens Committee for Soils, Water, and State Parks.

Tuesday, August 4 was Primary Election Day in Missouri. It’s a key moment in the election season where candidates for various elected offices across the state stand before voters, who narrow the field to the candidates who will face off in the general election on Tuesday, November 3.

In addition to the candidate races, there were also a number of ballot measures. A measure that MRT was watching closely was Amendment 1, which would renew the Parks, Soils, and Water Sales Tax for another 10 years.

According to near-complete tallies of the votes cast by Missouri residents, Amendment 1 was overwhelmingly approved by more than 80%!

The tax, which was first passed in 1984, 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. It makes up about 75% of the Missouri State Parks budget and brought in nearly $70 million in 2025.

The Parks, Soils, and Water Sales Tax is important for Missouri (and the work of MRT) for various reasons:

• Missouri State Parks make up a large portion of Missouri's trail system.
• Tourism within the parks is a vital economic lifeline, especially for rural areas.
• By keeping the tax in place, state parks have stable funding for the next decade.

Missourians for Responsible Transportation thanks the Conservation Federation of Missouri, Missouri Farm Bureau, and the many other organizations that supported the passage of this measure. We also want to urge folks to mark their calendars: the Parks, Soils, and Water Sales Tax will be back on the ballot in 2036!