ST. LOUIS – Just two months into his tenure as Missouri’s governor, Mike Kehoe has made at least two priorities well known: His support for state control of St. Louis police and eliminating the state’s income tax.

But new polling data reveals a sharply divided public, with Missourians split over high-stakes proposals for both changes.

Saint Louis University and YouGov PLC recently conducted a poll on several issues facing the Missouri legislature, collecting responses from more than 900 prospective Missouri voters. Polling was conducted between Feb. 18 and March 2.

St. Louis Police Control

According to the poll results, around 47% of poll respondents would favor local control of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, while 39% favor state control and 14% are unsure.

Notably, more voters from this specific poll would prefer to keep oversight of St. Louis police with the mayor’s office as opposed to a state board, though a broader crime-package bill proposing the latter option currently awaits a signature from Gov. Kehoe.

That bill, HB 495, includes provisions that would also require all Missouri law enforcement agencies to report the immigration status of criminal offenders and increase penalties for those who endanger children with fentanyl.

“In his first State of the State Address, Kehoe said, ‘If a drug dealer sells fentanyl that kills a Missourian, they should be charged with first-degree murder. Period.’ And our polling found that 78% of Missouri voters support charging individuals with first-degree murder if they knowingly distribute fentanyl that results in a person’s death,” said Steven Rogers, Ph.D., SLU/YouGov Poll Director and associate professor of political science at Saint Louis University.

State Income Tax

Additionally, according to poll results, around 52% of poll respondents say they would support eliminating the state income tax, while 25% opposed it and 23% remained unsure.

The poll found that support for income tax elimination was relatively consistent among income groups, with respondents making less than $50,000 supporting a plan at a 52% clip, those making between $50,000-$100,000 supporting the plan at a 56% clip and those making above $100,000 supporting the plan at a 49% clip.

“Voters unsurprisingly do not want to be taxed, but a big question is how does the state government replace that revenue,” said Rogers. “When we asked voters, 46% said they were not sure.”

Other Poll Findings

Among public candidates that Missourians voted into office, according to poll respondents…

  • Gov. Kehoe had 50% approval and 31% disapproval with 18% unsure
  • U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley had 51% approval and 41% disapproval with 9% unsure
  • U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt had 48% approval and 35% disapproval with 17% unsure
  • U.S. President Donald Trump had a 56% approval rating, the highest approval for any political figure in a SLU/YouGov poll.

Other key findings, on local and national issues within the poll, include:

  • 53% of respondents rate crime in their community as “Fair” or “Poor”
  • 70% of respondents support prohibiting students from accessing cell phones during regular instructional activities in elementary, middle, or high schools
  • 46% of voters favor the federal government banning access to TikTok
  • 52% of voters oppose eliminating the U.S. Department of Education
  • 54% of voters support raising the maximum federal child tax credit from $2,000 to $5,000

Organizers say this SLU/YouGov Poll has a margin of error for the weighted data of 3.64%. For a look at methodology and full poll results, click here.

NOTE: Video is from FOX 2’s March 12, 2025 report over the proposal involving SLMPD control.