Kansas legislators look at playing ball with Chiefs or Royals

TOPEKA, Kan. (KCTV) - Jackson County voters chose not to let the Royals move downtown and update Arrowhead, now some Kansas State Legislators are seeing if they can play ball with the Royals or Chiefs.

After Chiefs’ CEO Clark Hunt discussed being open to other possible options for the future of the team.

This prompted some State Representatives and Senators to quickly start legislation in attracting a professional sports team or teams to the Sunflower State.

This has been an interest in Kansas for many years.

“If they end up leaving that will be devastating to both sides of the state line so somebody’s gotta pick up the ball,” said Kansas District 27 Rep. Sean Tarwater (R).

Monday into Tuesday, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle quickly prepared legislation to help fund a professional sports team or teams move to Kansas.

They have two ways in this legislation that they hope to achieve this to bring in a team.

“One I put that into the budget and that is the attracting professional sports to Kansas fund where we are taking the excess revenue from our lottery and we are taking money from our sports wagering and replacing those in a fund that then will be able to generate over 40 year period that Jackson County would have had a 3/8th cent sales tax it will generate the same billion dollars that that tax would have generated,” said Kansas District 24 Sen. J.R. Claeys (R).

The other part would be through STAR Bonds which would generate sales tax through new developments.

“Whether it is hotels, shopping, entertainment, restaurants, all of those things are going to see a sales tax on that,” said Sen. Claeys.

But not all feel the teams should play ball across the state line.

Some mentioned the quick timeline and financial risk could be factors in this not working.

“I think if you look at the fact Jackson County residents in Missouri rejected this after a number of years even with the Chiefs doing as well as they have. They are making the evaluation saying no I don’t like this and I think we should draw some conclusion from that,” said Kansas District 10 Sen. Mike Thompson (R).

“We are not asking a county to add to their sales tax burden and place that on all of their citizens that’s not happening here,” said Sen. Claeys.

Lawmakers said if this es by the Senate and House and is signed by Kan. Governor Laura Kelly, it would then give the Department of Commerce the authority to negotiate with the Royals or Chiefs to bring either or both to the state.

Tuesday is going to be a long night for lawmakers.

They are dealing with severe weather delays and still need to a budget and tax bill since it’s the last day of the legislative session.

Many lawmakers expect Tuesday night to possibly go past Midnight and a special session could happen depending on what is ed.

Lawmakers said if the STAR Bond legislation isn’t ed this session, they could expect more legislation next year.

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