The Missouri House voted Tuesday to pass legislation allowing the state to help fund new stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, but the bill was filibustered to a halt in the Senate later that night.
No dollar amount for the state funding has been specified.
The goal of the legislation is to keep the two teams in Missouri. Proponents say the move is necessary to ensure the state continues to benefit from the income and economic growth the teams drive.
“The Chiefs and the Royals are significant employers in the state. They generate over a billion dollars in economic activity on an annual basis,” said Rep. Chris Brown, R-Kansas City, who introduced the legislation. “This effort is to keep these teams in Missouri where they belong, for the thousands of employees who depend on the Chiefs and Royals, and for the small-business owners like restaurants, retailers and hotels.”
Kansas legislators have been pursuing stadium deals for both teams.
Some Missouri lawmakers in both chambers objected to the plan since the House unexpectedly failed to pass the part of the budget funding capital improvement projects across the state last week. That means that funding for projects like the construction of a new mental hospital was cut.
“We have underfunded public education in this body. We have underfunded mental health in this body. We have underfunded health care. But we’re supposed to spend a chunk of money to maintain entertainment in the Kansas City area?” said Rep. Jo Doll, D-St. Louis. “I don’t know, I think that doesn’t sit well with me, and I've got to say I don’t think it’s going to sit well with my constituents.”
Others objected to the last-minute introduction of the legislation, which was added as an amendment to a Senate bill instead of going through the typical filing and vetting process.
The next step for the bill to become law would be for the Senate to approve the change. However, senators from both parties filibustered the bill to a halt in protest of the House’s failure to pass the funding for capital improvement projects.
“They’re not just numbers on a page,” said Senate Appropriations Chair Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, while filibustering the bill. “These projects that are now not going to happen affect people’s lives.”
The legislation limits the state's share of construction costs to 50%. The measure contains a clawback provision, meaning that if a team leaves Missouri after funds are committed to a project, it will be responsible for paying back the state.
The legislative session ends Friday, so legislators only have until then to pass the bill.
The River City Journalism Fund supports St. Louis Public Radio's Statehouse internship. Evy Lewis is the 2025 reporting intern. See rcjf.org for more information about the fund, which seeks to advance journalism in St. Louis.
