Funding for Chiefs, Royals and NextGen MURR focus of special session
Erika McGuire
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Missouri lawmakers reconvened in Jefferson City on Monday for a special legislative session called by Gov. Mike Kehoe.
Kehoe called the special session after lawmakers failed to pass several proposals during the regular session. A total of 17 bills were introduced on day one of the special session.
During a press conference, Kehoe emphasized what initiatives he wants the special session to focus on. One top priority is stadium funding to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri.
The Show Me Sports Investment Act would give the state’s professional sports teams access to state funding for stadium projects through new bonds, but only if certain requirements are met.
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 state is facing competition from Kansas, which has offered to fund up to 70% of new stadium costs under new tax revenues. The teams have until June 30 to decide whether to extend their leases past 2031 or move to Kansas.
Senator Rick Brattin introduced Senate Bill 10 during the first day of the special session.
The bill would push back on using taxpayer dollars to fund new or renovated stadiums and propose the “no taxation, no donation act.” The proposal would allow Missourians to voluntarily donate toward stadiums, and depending on how much they donate, they would receive perks like free parking.
The measure would also cap food and beer prices at stadiums to avoid price gouging.
Senate President Pro-Tem Cindy O’Laughin said it comes down to the teams’ owners.
“People want to bring the owners into the conversation, but for them it’s a business decision, but for me it boils down to do you want to make an offer that you think is reasonable, do you want to keep the chiefs and royals, then they have to decide,” O’Laughlin said.
Other priorities to be addressed in the special session include assistance for families affected by recent severe storms across the state. Kehoe wants lawmakers to approve a tax deduction for insurance deductibles paid by homeowners repairing damage from this spring’s storms, including a proposed $25 million in emergency housing aid and a $5,000 tax deduction for tornado victims.
Budget appropriations are also a priority during the special session, including funding for the NextGen MURR project — a proposal that failed to pass during the regular legislative session. The original allocation in House Bill 19 included $50 million for the University of Missouri Research Reactor, but Kehoe is now asking for half of that amount.
Stephen Webber (D) Columbia and Minority Floor Leader Doug Beck are both pushing for more funding for MURR.
Webber introduced Senate Bill 12 on Monday, which he said is similar to the house bill that originally called for $500 million in state projects like MURR.
Webber said the bill passed out of the senate with nearly unanimous support from senators in the regular session, and he’s now asking for an increase in funding for MURR.
“I am filing it at $75 million because if there is going to be a $25 million off of deals made in this chamber, I figure we might as well vary it in the other direction,” Webber said.
Other budget appropriations included in House Bill 19 are funding for a mental health facility in Kansas City and livestock barns at the state fairgrounds.
“We’re hoping to get the full amount for the cancer research, we’re hoping to keep the mental health hospital in there, and then we need that relief for the victims. If you’ve been in North City, it’s troublesome we’re not out there with more resources for these folks,’ Beck said.
Governor Kehoe hasn’t given a specific timeline for when he wants lawmakers to wrap things up, but under the law, special sessions can last up to 60 calendar days.