FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Apr 4, 2025

Contacts:
Nimrod Chapel, Jr., President Missouri State Conference
(816) 309-5009, President@monaacp.org

As the Missouri State Conference of the NAACP, we stand in firm opposition to the Public Safety Sales Tax proposal—what we believe should rightfully be called the “Jail Tax”—which appears on the April 8, 2025, ballot in Kansas City. 

This tax is a regressive, unjust, and fiscally irresponsible measure that would extract hundreds of millions of dollars from Kansas City and Missouri residents over the twenty years to build a jail that does nothing to address the root causes of crime. Rather than investing in housing, jobs, mental health, and education—strategies that actually prevent crime—this proposal chooses punishment over prevention.

The NAACP has long fought against policies that perpetuate mass incarceration and disproportionately harm Black communities. This proposal follows the same failed model of “public safety” that has devastated generations: locking people in cages while leaving communities without the resources they need to thrive.

We are particularly disturbed by:

• 
  The redirection of $250 million away from essential emergency services such as 911 operators and first responders, during a time when those systems are already strained.
• The financial recklessness of proposing a $250 million jail facility—at a cost of $1 million per bed—without a plan for how it will be operated or sustained beyond construction.
• The structural injustice of a regressive sales tax that forces the poorest residents to shoulder the heaviest burden.

The misleading and incomplete information being presented to the public by city leaders, which denies voters the full truth of what this tax would fund and who it would harm.

We cannot accept a future for Kansas City and our State that continues to rely on incarceration and that hurts the poor and working class. 

The Missouri State Conference of the NAACP urges every voter in Kansas City to vote NO on Question 1.

We invite the public to join in op[position. For additional information, please visit www.monaacp.org. Join the NAACP and share this message in your community.

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ABOUT NAACP

The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st-century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.