Special session in Missouri legislature could be used for Kansas City stadium bill
Mitchell Kaminski
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals have publicly expressed interest in moving from Missouri to Kansas after Jackson County voters rejected a proposal last year to extend a sales tax to help finance a downtown baseball stadium and upgrades to Arrowhead Stadium.
In response, Gov. Mike Kehoe proposed to fund new stadiums for both the Royals and the Chiefs, which was presented to the House GOP caucus on Tuesday morning.
Kehoe’s proposal, which was labeled the “Show Me Sports Investment Act,” would give the state’s professional sports teams access to state funding for stadium projects through new bonds.
However, to qualify, the project must cost at least $500 million and involve stadiums with more than 30,000 seats. The state could cover up to 50% of the total cost, and eligible teams could also access a tax credit worth up to 10% of their investment.
The proposal also includes an annual legislative review, a mandatory local funding match and revisions if a team moves its stadium, headquarters or training facility out of state. The plan would apply to renovations at Arrowhead Stadium or a new ballpark for the Royals, as long as the teams remain in Missouri.
However, lawmakers from both parties criticized the rushed process and lack of transparency, citing concerns the proposal was prioritizing stadium funding over other needs in the state.
Kehoe’s office told lawmakers that this was a legislative priority just a few days before the end of the session.
“We discussed as a caucus what that looks like, what the impact would be on Kansas City and the state if we were to lose our professional sports teams. And in good faith, a lot of us put our support behind that piece of legislation. We now are tasked with going back to our communities, our districts, and answering to our voters about that issue,” House Minority Leader Ashley Aune (D-Kansas City) said. “I think that the governor made it pretty clear yesterday that this is not his highest priority. If it was, he probably would have been able to keep the Senate in some level of peace. That didn’t happen. The Senate blew up and here we are. And if they want to take another bite at the apple, I just think it’s a bigger uphill battle.”
The proposal passed the House with a 108-40 vote, but by the time it reached the Senate with just three days left in the legislative session, a bipartisan group of lawmakers declared it dead on arrival.
House Speaker Jonathan Patterson (R-Jackson County) said he advised House Republicans to go home and prioritize their family and constituents, and if a special session is called, the House will work with Kehoe.
“We just finished up this session. Let’s take a little bit of a breather and then if we’re called to do it, the House Republicans will meet our obligations and try to get something done,” Patterson said.
Aune if there is a special session, it could be held sometime in June.