575000 dollars in annual funding has been cut. Make your sustaining donation today.

In a devastating blow, Congress has voted to defund public media, including $575,000 in annual funding for St. Louis Public Radio.

To sustain our service, we need more members of our community to make monthly donations.

Federal funding may be gone, but we are not.


Donate Now
© 2025 St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis Public Radio is a listener-supported service of the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
St. Louis Public Radio
All Things Considered
St. Louis Public Radio
All Things Considered
Next Up: 6:00 PM Marketplace
0:00
0:00
All Things Considered
St. Louis Public Radio
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Transportation Tax Campaign Spent More Than $2 Million — Just In July

MoDOT is asking motorists to avoid eastbound I-70 between Shreve and west Florissant as crews repair the road where an MSD sewer line ruptured on Sunday.
(via Missouri Department of Transportation)
MoDOT is asking motorists to avoid eastbound I-70 between Shreve and west Florissant as crews repair the road where an MSD sewer line ruptured on Sunday.

The campaign for a statewide transportation sales tax has been in a spending frenzy in July – and still has more money to burn.

The latest campaign-finance report shows the group called Missourians for Safe Transportation and New Jobs has $1.67 million left to spend during the final days leading up to the Aug. 5 election.

And that’s after spending more than $2 million on TV ads during first four weeks of July.

The report filed Monday with the Missouri Ethics Commission will be the last major one before the election. It shows that the campaign for Amendment 7 has raised just over $4.1 million from the beginning of its effort and spent $2.4 million all told — the bulk of it in the last few weeks.

At stake is a proposed three-quarter cent sales tax, for 10 years, that would be devoted to the state’s transportation needs — bridges, roads and mass transit. The measure also contains a provision barring any increase in the state’s gasoline tax, now one of the lowest in the country.

Backers say the proposal is the best way to raise at least $500 million a year to pay for badly needed transportation improvements. Critics contend there are better ways to raise the money, and they object to a sales tax because it is seen as hurting low-income people the most.

Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org.

Support Local Journalism

St. Louis Public Radio is a non-profit, member-supported, public media organization. Help ensure this news service remains strong and accessible to all with your contribution today.

Jo Mannies is a freelance journalist and former political reporter at St. Louis Public Radio.