The state House passed a last-minute attempt to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri. The incentive package would pay up to half the cost of new and improved stadiums for the teams.
Rep. Chris Brown, R-Kansas City, is sponsoring the provisions added to a Senate Bill about NIL endorsements for high school athletes. He said the plan would help to create roughly 12,000 jobs.
“You’d have to do some pretty good math to try to figure out the negative economic impact,” said Brown. “If those two franchises left our state, it would be devastating.”
Rep. Jim Murphy, R-St. Louis County, said the decision comes down to two things.
We’re talking about two teams that generate about $50 million in economic impact in taxes every year,” said Murphy. “But then there’s a whole second question, what’s the political right thing to do? Because we’ve got constituents that we’ve got to explain this to.”
The House fast tracked the bill in this last week of session. Then the Senate slammed on the brakes.
It’s the second time in two working days that the House threw the Senate a last-minute curve ball.
Last Friday, House Budget Committee Chairman Dirk Deaton unexpectedly canceled a negotiated $513 million bill to fund construction projects around the state – citing a need to save money.
The Senate’s frustration with Deaton’s move boiled over into the Chiefs and Royals package on Tuesday.
Appropriations Committee Chairman Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, said he was not necessarily opposed to the Chiefs and Royals plan. He was venting about Deaton’s spending priorities.
“I’m going to point out the hypocrisy of individuals who say they stand on principle and say they are concerned about the financial implications that are made this year and just obligated potentially $900 million worth of financing,” said Hough.
Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis, shared in Hough’s frustration.
“After all of this hypocrisy that has happened, we should just adjourn sine die,” said May. “These people making these decisions, the line is so crooked. I’ve been saying this since I’ve been here, but nobody’s listening. You want to kill our $500 million projects around the state, and then you do this bill?”
The Senate eventually adjourned Tuesday without voting on Senate Bill 80.
The legislative session ends Friday. The Chiefs plan to decide next month where their future home will be.
Copyright © 2025 · Missourinet
