Missouri Senate passes stadium funding bill overnight
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Senate worked into the early-morning hours Thursday to pass a trio of bills, one of which will provide funding for stadium projects for both the Kansas City Royals and the Chiefs.
The vote for Senate Bill 3 came in at 2:30 a.m. with 19 voting for it and 13 against it.
Getting to this point hasn't been easy, and that theme continued.
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The tension from the regular session has carried over into the special session. But with time working against them, state lawmakers managed to find enough common ground to vote through the Show Me Sports Investment Act.
The bill sets the framework for which the Royals and the Chiefs could use to pay back some of the costs for new and renovated venues.
Construction bonds would be paid back using tax money generated at the stadiums and would cover up to 50% of the cost to build it.
The teams would have to qualify to have access to that money.
The stadiums would need to be built for football or baseball, have more than 30,000 seats and cost at least half a billion dollars.
Missouri news: Headlines from St. Louis, Jefferson City and across the Show-Me State
Senate Bill 3 does not have the words 'Royals' or 'Chiefs' in it, but a big reason for the calling of this special session was to find a way to keep both teams in the state and counter the plans of Kansas lawmakers. Nearly a year ago, the Kansas legislature approved a bill to utilize STAR bonds to cover stadium construction costs.
The Missouri Senate has adjourned and is expected to convene again June 16. The Missouri House is set to vote on bill next.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas issued the following statement hours after the vote Thursday via X:
'I thank the Missouri Senate for its work in special session, passing proposals supporting disaster relief in Eastern Missouri, funding key education and health initiatives for our future, and competitiveness for sports and entertainment retention and attraction in Missouri. I am grateful for the attention and investment of time to be provided next by the Missouri House on this important bipartisan work building a responsible future and opportunity for our state and its people.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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