KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The border war to attract Kansas City’s two major sports franchises is taking on a mirror image of sorts.
Missouri lawmakers are excited about a proposal designed to provide incentives for major teams to build stadiums in the Show-Me-State. The money behind the Missouri proposal looks a lot like the approach Kansas is using to perhaps attract the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals franchises.
There’s bipartisan support for Missouri Senate Bill 822, the Missouri Entertainment Facility Capital Assistant Program. It stems from a meeting in Jefferson City last week, and it serves as an answer to the aggressive approach Kansas legislators are using. That approach employs money from STAR bonds to lure the National League Football and Major League Baseball franchises over the state line.
Missouri State Sen. Barbara Washington sponsors this legislation, which foresees an equal 33% of funding for stadiums coming from the state level, public sources and city and county budgets.
Missouri State Rep. Mark Sharp co-sponsors the bill. He said funding will come from the state treasury, using funds appropriated from the general assembly directed through the treasury.
“This bill was filed on Thursday. It was second-read today. It seems to me this bill has somebody’s attention at the state, as it should, and we can get these bills referred in the coming weeks,” Rep. Sharp said on Friday.
Jackson County Sixth District Legislator Sean Smith is encouraged by this plan. Smith knows the Royals would prefer not to go back to the voters, after losing at the polls last April. Smith also likes the protection this would provide Missouri business operators.
“When we see our border states trying to take our businesses, it is in our best interest to say, ‘No, and we’re going to kick your butt. If you try to steal our corporations, we’re going to kick your butt.’ We’re going to offer them something better to keep them here,” Smith said.
Kansas lawmakers knew a response from Missouri would come. Kansas State Rep. Sean Tarwater isn’t involved in the negotiations, but he sees similarities between the Missouri plan and the STAR bonds Kansas will utilize.
“If you’re looking at a three-billion-dollar stadium or four-billion-dollar stadium, you’re going to have to take a vote locally, and that’s going to take some time. Also, this bill doesn’t go into effect until August 2025, and we may have everything wrapped up by then,” Tarwater explained.
Smith likes that the Missouri proposal also provides some protection against higher property tax expenses for taxpayers. Missouri legislators have until May 17 to pass this bill.