Recent legislation slashes a key revenue source for local governments

Local leaders across Missouri are scrambling to figure out how big a bite recent legislation will take out of their revenue streams over the next few years.

Gov. Mike Parsons recently signed a package of legislation that outlines how Missouri municipalities can collect online use tax. The state was the last in the country to reconcile the 2018 Supreme Court decision South Dakota v. Wayfair.

Part of the law includes a provision that cuts cable franchise fees in half by 2027. This has some communities panicking, as revenue from cable franchise fees shrivel over the past decade as consumers shift from traditional cable packages to streaming services.