Chiefs, Royals funding takes center stage as Missouri special session gets underway
Missouri legislature reconvenes Monday in Jefferson City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The future of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals will be a hot topic in the Missouri State Capitol Monday, as legislators reconvene for a special session.
Gov. Mike Kehoe announced the special session last week, after the Legislature wrapped up its work last month without giving final approval to a late-developing plan that would authorize state bonds for the Chiefs and Royals valued at up to half the cost of the stadium projects.
Missouri officials are scrambling to come up with an offer because Kansas lawmakers last year authorized bonds for up to 70% of the cost of new stadiums, paying them off over 30 years with revenues from sports betting, Kansas Lottery ticket sales, and new sales and alcohol taxes.
However, that offer from Kansas legislators comes with a deadline of June 30, and Speaker of the House and Republican Wichita Representative Dan Hawkins told KCTV5 last month they are not anticipating extending that negotiation time.
The Chiefs and Royals have played professional football and baseball for five decades in side-by-side stadiums in eastern Kansas City in Jackson County, Missouri, drawing fans from both sides of the split metropolitan area. Their stadium leases run until 2031, and Royals owner John Sherman has said the team won’t play at Kauffman Stadium beyond the 2030 season.
The Missouri governor’s office has stated the Chiefs contribute $575 million annually in economic value and more than 4,500 jobs in Jackson County alone, bringing the state nearly $30 million in annual tax revenue.
Kehoe added that a new ballpark district for the Royals is expected to 8,400 jobs and generate $1.2 billion in economic output annually.
KCTV5 will have updates from the special session throughout the day both on air and online.
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