JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri State Representative Ray Reed has announced his bipartisan cosponsorship of a proposed constitutional amendment to expand Missouri’s property tax exemption for veterans who have borne the greatest cost of military service.
Under current law, Missouri provides a homestead property tax exemption only to former prisoners of war with total service-connected disabilities. Upon voter approval, this amendment would extend that exemption to all Missouri veterans with a 100% service-connected disability, as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as to any veteran who is a former prisoner of war.
“This is about keeping a simple promise,” Reed said. “When someone puts on the uniform of the United States and gives everything in service to our country, our responsibility doesn’t end when they come home. It is our duty to ensure that those who sacrificed the most can live with dignity, stability, and peace of mind.”
The amendment would also ensure that surviving spouses of deceased veterans with 100% service-connected disabilities may continue to receive the exemption, provided they continue to use and maintain the property as their primary homestead. If the home is sold or no longer used as a primary residence, the exemption would expire.
Reed emphasized the bipartisan nature of the proposal, noting that support for veterans transcends party lines.
“This is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue,” Reed said. “It is an American obligation. We can debate many things in this building, but honoring our veterans should never be one of them.”
If approved by voters, the amendment would provide meaningful, long-term tax relief to Missouri’s most severely disabled veterans and their families—recognizing their service not with words alone, but with action.
“Our veterans answered the call without hesitation,” Reed added. “This amendment is one way Missouri can answer them back with gratitude, respect, and lasting support.”