ST. LOUIS—Missouri lawmakers don’t sound like they’re in any hurry to return to Jefferson City to put together a deal to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals from following their wandering eyes across the Kansas border, and it’s still unclear if Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s administration will put something together that requires legislative approval.
Kansas officials saw an opening in early April after voters on the Missouri side of the Kansas City metropolitan area decisively refused to extend a local sales tax used to keep up the complex housing the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium, home to the Royals.
Last week, legislative leaders in Kansas said they would consider two stadium bond proposals in a special session starting June 18.
When asked last week if Missouri lawmakers would be pressed into their own special session to counter a plan to lure the Chiefs, a Parson spokesperson said the governor was “optimistic that their story will continue in Missouri for generations to come,” and that discussions have continued with team leadership.
Over the weekend, FOX4 in Kansas City confirmed that the Royals were willing to listen to a Kansas pitch.
State Rep. Mark Sharp, D-Kansas City, who has voiced alarm about a need for a sense of urgency when it comes to losing the teams, said Monday the governor's office told him over the weekend that it is too soon to consider a special session.Parson’s office did not respond to questions Monday about the Royals.
Missouri lawmakers Spectrum News spoke to over the weekend seemed skeptical about taking immediate action.
“I think it's difficult to ask the State of Missouri to pay for a billionaire's ballpark if you will. I would think the Royals, the Chiefs could use the economic incentives that we afford all businesses for the state of Missouri and hopefully they can seek some remedy to offer a new stadium along those lines but to ask the state of Missouri and Missourians as a whole to pay for something like that is quite difficult,” said House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres.
State Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg said state economic development officials have "many different tools in their toolbox to attract and retain small businesses and major corporations to Missouri."
“Of course we want them to stay and of course the other side of that is what tax incentives are we going to give a company that may or may not need them,” said State Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Manchester. “Keeping them in state is huge for Missouri and yes we should figure out the best move to keep them here,” she added.
State Rep. Adam Schwadron, R-St. Charles said he didn't think legislation needed to be considered before the next regular session of the General Assembly convenes in January.
Others wondered aloud about the potential real impact of a move, or if this is just another example of high stakes negotiations pitting different municipalities against eachother.
“My guess would be that even if they move to Kansas, Kansas City and Missouri would still benefit greatly from that and there are real issues about the kind of tax credits and maybe benefits that professional sports get,” said State Rep. Barbara Phifer, D-Kirkwood. “I would have to know more about it but I think that wether or not they’re in Missouri or Kansas, Missouri will get a huge benefit from both.”
“I think the Chiefs and the Royals would be nuts to go to Kansas. I don’t know what they can offer that Missouri doesn’t have much more in oodles,” said State Sen. Travis Fitzwater. “I think they’re just using it as leverage to make sure they can get as much from taxpayers as possible. I don’t think it’s really the role of taxpayers to take care of billionaire stadiums, so we really have to balance that with what’s smart for our state, what’s good for taxpayers and what’s good for the Chiefs and Royals who we love having in our state.”
If a special session is not called, Sharp is hoping some other public step can be taken, potentially in the form of a special legislative committee, because constituents are telling him that it looks like local and state officials don't care if the teams move.
"There needs to be some activity," Sharp said.
The Associated Press contributed reporting for this story.
