Missouri lawmakers will be returning to Jefferson City on Monday for a special session focused on a trio of issues.
Gov. Mike Kehoe announced Tuesday the legislature will meet to address storm relief, including a response to the recent tornado in St. Louis, a plan to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri and projects, like a new mental health hospital, that failed to get funding in the just-completed session.
“I've spoken with leadership in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle, and I'm optimistic that we can work together to make this time count and use the rare opportunity to benefit the future of our state,” Kehoe said.
Missouri has weathered a series of storms since March, including the deadly EF3 tornado that hit St. Louis on May 16, killing five people and causing at least $1 billion in damage.
The governor said he submitted a request for a federal disaster declaration for the May 16 tornado this past Sunday.
So far, the federal government has approved two of Missouri’s requests for major disaster declarations for storms and flooding that occurred March 14-15 as well as March 30-April 8.
“I'm very happy that we got what we got because you saw some other states not get approved. So, it unfortunately takes a little longer than as a small-business guy I like sometimes, but we're grateful for the response we've gotten so far, and we'll keep pushing,” Kehoe said.
There are three things Kehoe wants accomplished related to storm relief.
He would like legislation that would establish an income tax deduction for insurance policy deductibles incurred by homeowners and renters due to damages caused by severe weather.
The deductions would be limited to $5,000 per household, per disaster, in a calendar year. Kehoe said the program would be available for future storms.
Another piece of legislation would enhance the ability of the Missouri Housing Trust Fund, which is administered by the Missouri Housing Development Commission. That includes expanded eligibility and the removal of administrative burdens for Disaster Housing Response Grants.
“These are largely for uninsured and underinsured families,” Kehoe said.
Kehoe said he would like to see the legislature expand the eligibility threshold for Missouri families from the current 50% mark for regional average median income to 75%.
In addition to expanding eligibility, the administration wants to allocate $25 million in general revenue to the Missouri Housing Trust Fund. That money will go toward emergency aid.
Tax incentives for Chiefs and Royals
Lawmakers will also consider legislation aimed at keeping the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri.
“The Kansas City Chiefs and Royals are Missouri's teams. They drive billions of dollars in economic activity through tourism, job creation and small businesses, including hotels, restaurants and retailers,” Kehoe said.
A last-minute bill, titled the Show Me Sports Investment Act, would have allowed the state to help fund new stadiums or stadium improvements for professional football and baseball teams. It failed to pass in the final week of session.
The legislation is a response to a bill passed by the Kansas Legislature last year that offered hundreds of millions of dollars to persuade the Royals and Chiefs to move across the border.
The cost of the Missouri legislation is unknown, but is likely to be hundreds of millions.
Kehoe said that he believed the bill is a competitive offer but that it’s also fair to Missourians.
“The money dedicated for the bond payments are up to the amount of revenues historically generated by the teams. This is the same amount of revenue the state stands to lose if either team relocates to any other state. But local support is still critical in this effort, and this plan will require local contributions,” Kehoe said.
Last year, voters in Jackson County, which includes Kansas City, rejected a sales tax that would have funded a new Royals stadium.
Kehoe said if Missouri doesn’t submit a counteroffer, there is a chance of the teams moving across the border.
“I believe if Missouri does not put some sort of offer forward, I'm not speaking for either of those teams, I think the risk is real that they don't stay here. I believe that the package that we can present to them, again with the help of the local communities, will be serious enough for them to give it great consideration,” Kehoe said.
In addition to the stadium legislation, the governor would like to extend the expiration date on a law that provides tax credits for amateur sporting events.
A second chance for some budget items
Missouri legislators will reconsider certain budget items that were a part of a failed capital improvements bill.
The failure of the House to pass Bill 19 this past session caught both House Democrats and the Senate off guard.
House Budget Chair Dirk Deaton, R-Seneca, said at the time he believed the budget had grown too large, especially with general revenue spending.
Senate Appropriations Chair Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, spent a couple of days the last week of session talking about the projects on the Senate floor that would now not receive funding this fiscal year.
Hough also said that while he wasn’t against the stadium funding bill, he did not appreciate the House passing it days after not passing Bill 19.
Now, some of those projects will be reconsidered in a new budget bill.
One would allocate $25 million in general revenue for the Radioisotope Science Center at the University of Missouri Research Reactor.
“MURR has developed life-saving medicines for patients around the world, and Missouri is proud to be home to this incredible nuclear resource,” Kehoe said.
The governor said the legislature will look at non-general revenue projects, including funding for a 200-bed mental health hospital in Kansas City, a new crime lab for the Missouri State Highway Patrol and money for projects at state parks across Missouri.
While lawmakers will start the session Monday, there is no set end date.
