Franklin County voters sided with the Missouri majority on Tuesday regarding the three statewide propositions and a constitutional amendment.
Constitutional Amendment A and Proposition B were defeated on Tuesday while Propositions A and E passed, and county voters followed suit.
Amendment
Constitutional Amendment A asked voters if the Missouri Constitution should be amended to change the current nonpartisan selection of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges to a process that gives the governor increased appointment authority.
In Franklin County, 34,585 voters, or 79.15 percent, said no while 9,112, or 20.85 percent said yes.
Across Missouri, the percentage was 76 percent against and 34 percent in favor.
Propositions
The most-debated proposition was B, which would have created the Health and Education Trust Fund through raising the cigarette tax from 17 to 90 cents.
Fund proceeds would have been used to reduce and prevent tobacco use and for elementary, secondary, college and university public school funding and increase the amount that certain tobacco product manufacturers must maintain in their escrow accounts.
In Franklin County, the tally was 58.5 percent against (27,026 votes) and 41.5 percent in favor (19,169.)
Statewide, the vote was much closer with the measure failing by a 50.8 to 49.2 percent margin.
Proposition A asked voters if Missouri law should be amended to allow any city not within a county (the city of St. Louis) the option of transferring certain obligations and control of the city’s police force from the board of police commissioners currently appointed by the governor to the city and establishing a municipal police force.
The issue really had no local impact, but county voters approved the measure by a 63.1 to 36.9 percent vote. There were 27,571 votes cast in favor and 16,121 against.
In Missouri, the percentages were 63.9 percent saying yes and 36.1 percent saying no.
Proposition E dealt with health care and questioned whether state law be amended to prohibit the governor or any state agency from establishing or operating state-based health insurance exchanges unless authorized by a vote of the people or by the Legislature.
The local tally was 65.3 percent (28,808 votes) in favor and 34.7 percent (15,302) against.
The total Missouri vote was 61.8 percent for the proposition and 38.2 percent against it.
