Missouri House approves funding deal in bid to Keep Royals, Chiefs in Missouri
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Missouri’s neighboring state, Kansas, has ramped up efforts to lure the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs across state lines in recent months. To combat this, Missouri lawmakers are making a late push to keep the teams from skipping town.
On Tuesday, the Missouri House approved a funding proposal aimed at building new stadiums or renovating existing ones for the two organizations. The bill, supported by Gov. Mike Kehoe, would allow the state to issue bonds covering up to half the cost of stadium construction, along with up to $50 million in tax credits.
The main concerns of exact locations or final costs were not listed, as those decisions are ironed out at a later date.
“People get caught up in the fact that they're sports franchises,” Kehoe said. “I look at it no different than if they were a manufacturer wanting to move to another state and take hundreds and hundreds of jobs with them. We'd be doing everything we could to keep them in Missouri.”
A recent study highlights the significant impact of Kansas City sports teams on the local economy. The Chiefs alone generate nearly $29 million annually in tax revenue and support over 4,500 jobs within Jackson County. Meanwhile, the Royals' proposed new ballpark district promises to create more than 8,000 jobs and contribute an estimated $1.2 billion in yearly economic activity.
The proposal still needs to clear the Missouri Senate before Friday’s end-of-session deadline, and that could be a tough ask, but lawmakers pushing for the deal say this is about more than sports.
“I can't imagine the economic landscape without the Chiefs and the Royals in Missouri,” Rep. Chris Brown said. “The Chiefs and the Royals literally are a part of us to some degree, they are a fabric woven within the state of Missouri.”
The House passed the measure 108–40, and this all comes on the heels of a failed sales tax extension in Jackson County. That extension would have helped fund a $2 billion downtown ballpark for the Royals and major upgrades to Arrowhead Stadium.
Royals owner John Sherman has said the team doesn’t plan to stay at Kauffman Stadium past 2030, and while the Chiefs haven’t made any public decisions, their current lease also runs through 2031.
To ease concerns and have a better spotlight this time around, the plan includes a safeguard. If a team takes state money and later leaves, they’d be required to pay it back. However, that hasn’t eased concerns for everyone.
Still, Kehoe emphasized that the proposal isn’t tied to any specific city, but it just aims to keep the teams in-state.
“Doesn't matter where they build as long as they're in Missouri,” Kehoe said.
