The Missouri House this week approved a proposal offering financial incentives in an effort to retain the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals by supporting the construction or renovation of stadiums for both teams.
Backed by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, the plan would authorize the issuance of state bonds covering up to half the cost of the stadium projects and offer up to $50 million in tax credits. However, the legislation leaves key details—such as the total project cost and stadium locations—to be determined in future negotiations.
The measure comes in response to mounting competition from neighboring Kansas, which last year passed its own incentive package after voters in Missouri’s Jackson County rejected a sales tax extension that would have helped fund a $2 billion downtown ballpark district for the Royals and an $800 million renovation of Arrowhead Stadium.
With the legislative session ending Friday, time is running out for Missouri lawmakers. The Senate must still pass the bill, but it faced immediate pushback during its Tuesday hearing. Republican Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman criticized the proposal as “special interests for billionaires,” signaling a protracted debate. The session ended without a vote.
The Chiefs and Royals have shared adjacent stadiums in eastern Kansas City for more than 50 years, drawing fans from across the Kansas-Missouri metro area. While their current leases run through 2031, Royals owner John Sherman has indicated the team will not remain at Kauffman Stadium past 2030.
Meanwhile, Kansas has changed its laws to allow bonds covering up to 70% of stadium development costs, further pressuring Missouri to act.
Documents distributed Tuesday by Gov. Kehoe’s office stated, “Kansas is aggressively negotiating with both teams.” Several lawmakers stressed the urgency of taking action to preserve the economic benefits the teams bring to the state.
“I can’t imagine the economic landscape without the Chiefs and the Royals in Missouri,” said Rep. Chris Brown, a Kansas City Republican who introduced the bill. “The Chiefs and the Royals literally are a part of us to some degree—they are a fabric woven within the state of Missouri.”
