Latest news with #MissouriSenate
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
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. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV 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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Missouri governor allows more spending, property tax cap as he pursues stadium deal
State Sen. Kurtis Gregory of Marshall is sponsoring the bill to set aside state tax money to finance new and renovated stadiums for Kansas City sports teams (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Gov. Mike Kehoe expanded the agenda of the special session Wednesday enough to win Missouri Senate passage of bills with money for disaster recovery in St. Louis, changes to property taxes policies and tax incentives to finance new or improved stadiums in Kansas City. Initially scheduled to go in at 10 a.m., the Senate finally convened about seven hours later. Talks over what sweeteners Kehoe needed to get his key objective — tax incentives to finance new or renovated stadiums for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals —- culminated in his revised agenda. 'After productive conversations with members of the Missouri General Assembly this week, we are amending our special session call to allow for additional legislation in the areas of disaster relief, tax policy, and budget investments,' Kehoe said in a news release. 'We appreciate legislators working together to use this as an opportunity to show up for our communities by acting swiftly to help those in crisis, while also making smart decisions that secure opportunity for the future.' Under the constitutional limits on a special session, the governor must 'state specifically each matter on which action is deemed necessary.' Any attempt to address an issue not listed in the call for the session can be ruled out of order. The special session began Monday and can continue for up to 60 days. Kehoe is seeking quick action because both teams have offers from Kansas to relocate. The spending bill passed 23-10 in the early morning on Thursday, winning with a coalition of Democrats and Republicans with only Republicans opposed. The bill to finance the stadiums went to the House on a 19-13 vote, with three Democrats joining 10 Republicans in opposition. For several hours the chamber stalled on the stadium bill, working late into the night. The bill includes all the tax provisions necessary to finance the stadiums, plus disaster relief provisions and an expansion of a tax credit program supporting amateur sporting events. Shortly before 1 a.m., the impasse cleared and bill sponsored by state Sen. Kurtis Gregory was given initial approval. Within a few hours, the final votes were held and the Senate adjourned until June 16. For several hours, debate focused on a proposal from state Sen. Joe Nicola, a Republican from Independence, to freeze the maximum increase in annual property tax bills at 5% in some counties. Then state Sen. Tracy McCreery, a Democrat from Olivette, said she had heard enough. 'This discussion that we've had the last several hours is just an effort for the governor to try to get a couple of votes out of the Freedom Caucus for the stadium funding scheme,' McCreery said. She said Kehoe agreed to Nicola's amendment and added it to the call to wear down opposition. Then she blamed Kehoe and Republicans for using a procedural move to shut down debate during the regular session on an abortion ban and repeal of the sick leave law approved by voters in November. Kehoe could have had the stadium plan passed if the procedural move was not used, McCreery said. 'Here we are tonight, masquerading that we care about people and the amount of money that they're paying for things,' McCreery said. Democrats don't trust Republicans, she said, and the Senate should not trust the House. Until the appropriation bill, which totals $361 million including $175 million in general revenue, passes the House. The House refused to pass a bill with $235 million of the same projects and $282 million of additional spending during the session. House Republican leaders waited for the Senate to adjourn on the last day for passing appropriations before revealing that the bill would be spiked. 'We should not be doing anything until (the spending bill is passed) and over the House, and then the House has to have it on its way to the governor before we should be taking any action on anything else,' McCreery said. The stadium funding plan would allocate state taxes collected from economic activity at Arrowhead and Kauffman to bond payments for renovations at Arrowhead and a new stadium for the Royals in Jackson or Clay counties. The cost is estimated at close to $1.5 billion over 30 years. State Sen. Kurtis Gregory, a Republican from Marshall and sponsor of the stadium bill, said the public support for keeping the Chiefs and Royals in Missouri was both a good economic investment and a good investment in the state's image. 'What's at stake if those teams go across the state line is over $2 billion of economic activity inside of the state of Missouri, over 13,000 jobs, and we just let the state of Kansas poach the pride and joy of the western side of the state,' Gregory said. The teams must give Kansas an answer by June 30 on an offer to pay 70% of the cost of new stadiums. Missouri's offer is to cover about half the cost. Some senators have grumbled that the teams should make a commitment to stay in Missouri if the bill is passed. Gregory said their desire to stay should be apparent. 'I also contend that the teams want to stay in Missouri, because if they wanted to go to Kansas, I believe they would have already signed on the dotted line to move those teams,' Gregory said. The spending bill was increased because of demands from St. Louis Democrats that Kehoe address the uncertainty over when or whether President Donald Trump will declare a federal disaster for the May 16 St. Louis tornado. That brought a new $100 million appropriation for storm victims in the city of St. Louis. Previously, the disaster provisions in the call — $25 million for the Missouri Housing Trust Fund to be distributed by the Missouri Housing Development Commission and a tax credit for amounts paid as insurance deductibles — were all applied equally to counties included in disaster requests. Kehoe has submitted four storm events this spring, with damage in 37 counties, to Trump for disaster requests. Two have been granted. The magnitude of the St. Louis tornado — a 22-mile path of destruction that cost five Missouri lives and damaged an estimated $1.6 billion in property damage — surpasses all other damage so far in the state. Damage to public property in the two disasters that have been declared is estimated at $52 million. The other new money added to the spending bill settled an issue for state Sen. Stephen Webber, a Democrat from Columbia. A state contribution to the new research reactor at the University of Missouri, which Kehoe cut from $50 million to $25 million to find money for disaster aid, was returned to $50 million. The only opposition to the spending bill on the floor came from state Sen. Mike Moon, a Republican from Ash Grove, who said the university should tap its $1.4 billion endowment to pay for the reactor. And Moon said he didn't like the disaster relief funds. 'The money that is going to be received by those who were hurt is nowhere near the amount that's going to cause them to be compensated and fully restored,' Moon said. If the state starts paying to repair property after storms, he said, people will not buy insurance. 'I don't think some of this is the proper function of government,' Moon said. 'Compassion, certainly. But unless people take personal responsibility and do the things they should be doing so that we don't have to, when is this going to end?' The tax change Nicola is trying to enact would cap increases in real property tax bills at 5% every two years, corresponding to the reassessment cycle. Officials in 34 counties would have the option of putting the cap in place through a ballot measure. The proposal is a response to rapid increases in property values and the resulting increase in tax bills. There was no estimate available of the potential cost to local governments. Nicola said there were enough protections to make sure all current revenue is maintained and new voter-approved levies are paid. 'Our property tax system in this state, in my opinion, is a disaster,' Nicola said. The amendment is the price of his vote, he told the Senate. 'I am a hard no on the stadium tax bill unless we get some solid property tax relief for my people in Jackson County,' Nicola said. 'I told the governor of this on Monday I can count on one hand how many of my constituents want me to vote for the stadium.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Business Journals
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
Stadium funding, disaster aid set to be debated by divided Missouri Senate
Story Highlights Missouri Senate debates bills for stadium funding and disaster relief. Proposed stadium bill would divert $1.5 billion over 30 years. Disaster relief funding criticized as insufficient for affected areas. The first two days of the special legislative session called by Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe to allocate state money for Kansas City sports stadiums, disaster recovery and unfinished spending bills have gone as well as could be expected. The Missouri Senate is poised for Wednesday debates on all the legislation Kehoe wants passed. And that's when the legislation will move from friendly committees to a chamber compromised by clear Republican factional lines and simmering Democratic anger. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events Some of the potential problems could be solved by which bills go first. The simplest bill would alter the rules governing the Missouri Housing Trust Fund so it could use $25 million included in an appropriations bill to fund home repairs and other assistance in areas hit by natural disasters this year. The biggest gripes about that plan is that the money is too little and spread too thin — federal disaster declarations have been sought for 37 counties so far this year — to do a lot of good. The biggest disaster of the year, and one that has yet to receive a presidential directive allowing federal aid, is a May 16 tornado that carved a 22-mile path across the St. Louis region, damaging or destroying 16,000 structures including hundreds of old brick homes in North St. Louis. People are sleeping in cars to protect their damaged property while they work to rebuild and wait for help, said state Sen. Brian Wililams, a University City Democrat. 'I'm having a severe challenge with even entertaining this, because I don't know how anyone would be able to go back home and look at their neighbors,' Williams said. The bill with the biggest obstacles would use tax money collected from the economic activity at Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City to finance renovated or new stadiums. The bill is estimated to divert almost $1.5 billion from state revenues over 30 years. State Sen. Kurtis Gregory, a Marshall Republican and a former NFL player, is sponsoring the bill. The damage it will do to Missouri's national image to lose one or both teams, especially the Chiefs, is as important as the transfer of the economic value to Kansas, Gregory said during a hearing of the Senate Fiscal Review Committee. Kansas is offering to pay 70% of the cost for new stadiums, an offer that is 'very viable,' Gregory said, and must be answered by the end of the month. 'I firmly believe these are Missouri's teams, and if Missouri doesn't have an offer on the table for the teams to even consider, that will speak for itself and how we view then what they bring to our state and our economy,' Gregory said. Lobbyists for the teams would not commit to staying in Missouri if the legislation is passed. That, said state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, is hard to take for residents of eastern Missouri who remember that Chiefs owner Clark Hunt supported moving the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles. 'There was a real begrudgement about whether we were going to root for the Chiefs after the ownership team voted to remove the Rams from this from our side of the state,' said Coleman, a Republican from Arnold. Along with the stadium financing, Gregory's bill includes expanded tax credits for major amateur sporting events and a tax credit of up $5,000 for insurance deductibles paid as a result of disaster damage. The bill where Kehoe's plan could make its biggest political gains is the spending bill. It is mirrored on a construction spending package that the Missouri House refused to consider for a final vote during the regular session. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved two versions Tuesday. One, based on Kehoe's requests, has all the non-general revenue items but only $50 million of the more than $300 million in general revenue spending. Kehoe said he left out the general revenue items because he is concerned about the trend of little growth in state revenues. He cut in half a line item to support a new research reactor at the University of Missouri, leaving $25 million and using the other half for the disaster relief funding. Some lawmakers have called the cut a broken promise to the university. University President Mun Choi, who attended the hearing on the spending bill, said he is happy with the $25 million and the remaining funds will be welcome next year as the multi-year project progresses. 'I am not upset at all,' Choi said. 'I am grateful that the governor and the legislature are considering supporting this very important project here today. There are many other competing interests, especially with the disaster relief in St. Louis, and I really feel for the St. Louisians that are affected.' The other version of the bill is exactly the same as the bill the House spiked. It includes more than 60 projects added by lawmakers, with money to rebuild a sheltered workshop that burned in December and provided needed upgrades at eight hospitals around the state. While many members worried about disaster recovery or the earmarked projects have said they are ready to consider the stadium legislation after those bills are finished, the members of the Missouri Freedom Caucus who have signaled they oppose stadium funding are against it as a government subsidy to wealthy owners. During testimony against the bill, Patrick Tuohey, a senior fellow at the Show Me Institute, summed up why conservatives oppose the bill. 'What's happening here is that the teams want to use Kansas, and want to use fear of losing the teams, to vacuum up as much state subsidies as they can,' said Touhey, who wrote an op-ed about the issue published by The Independent earlier this week. 'And then they are going to come to Jackson County and Clay County and do exactly the same thing, pit them against each other, and try to vacuum up as much public subsidies from taxpayers as possible,' This report originally appeared on Missouri Independent and is republished here under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kehoe calls special session on storm damage, KC sports teams
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A special session of the Missouri Legislature has officially convened at the capitol. The Missouri Senate, the body handling the initial introduction of bills, met for a little over a half hour as senators introduced a variety of measures, some of which don't fall under Governor Mike Kehoe's purview for legislators to tackle during the extraordinary session. Kehoe spelled out three areas for lawmakers to focus on: relief for storm victims across the state, capital spending projects that were not passed in the regular session and a comprehensive financing package that could sway the owners of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals from moving across the state border in Kansas. 'I think the offers from the other state (Kansas) are very real and sincere,' Kehoe said. 'I'm hopeful Missouri can put a foot forward to give us a seat at the table to help try to keep those two businesses on this side of the state line.' Kehoe told reporters gathered at an event at the Truman Office Building in Jefferson City that he remains optimistic about the session. 'Special sessions are never easy, but we have some tasks before us,' he said. 'I hope they'll take them seriously and figure out what the best path forward is for Missourians.' A big piece of the governor's call has to do with providing relief to Missourians impacted by a string of severe storms that ripped through the state this spring. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'That's a major part of this call that's very timely and it's something that citizens are very much hurting on,' the GOP governor said. 'Look, this legislature has done a great job this session. I'm grateful for the work they did in regular session and I'm hopeful they'll take that same spirit into looking at the issues before them in the special session.' Senators introduced roughly 20 bills on the first day. They have 60 days to pass any final pieces of legislation before the Missouri Constitution's window for a special session expires. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kansas City mayor says Royals stadium plan could be done soon
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tuesday, Missouri Republican Governor Mike Kehoe said he'll call lawmakers back to the state capitol Monday, June 2, for a special session. Kehoe said the unfinished business of keeping the Chiefs and Royals in the Show-Me State will be near the top of that agenda. A state package to help the teams finance stadium needs died in the Missouri Senate, in part over politics. FBI searching for man who robbed bank near Country Club Plaza Tuesday, Kehoe said his Show Me Sports Investment Act will allow each of the teams to bond up to the annual amount they generate in state tax revenue, but state senators angry the Missouri House had ignored a $500 million infrastructure investment law in part, lead to filibusters that caused the Senate to set the issue aside and adjourn the session early. In Kehoe's mind, getting a package across the finish line is critical to keeping the teams. 'Well, I've talked to not only the owners of both the teams multiple times, but their management, and they have some significant options on the table,' Kehoe said during Tuesday's news conference. '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.' One of those options is Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds . Those bonds, sold to private investors, are backed by revenues generated by the stadiums and surrounding districts developed or designated by the state. That package expires June 30 but can be renewed for another year. Besides bonding in Missouri, the Show Me Sports Investment Act requires a local contribution for the teams to be able to take advantage of it. That's where people like Mayor Quinton Lucas come into play. Lucas says tax redirections that they have would largely allow for a new baseball stadium, for instance, to fund itself. 'The rental car sales tax at a certain point that's paying for the T-Mobile Center does run out,' Lucas said. 'We look at a renewal that helps supports that long term. That's more resources for it, particularly in terms of annual maintenance, which is something that our Missouri side stadiums have always done well at the Truman Sports Complex, and we want to make sure we keep.' FOX4 asked Lucas whether the rental car tax would require a vote of the people. His answer was yes, but it hasn't been in all of their offers. 'I do believe that this is the sort of thing that if the legislature gets the job done, Kansas City can by ordinance vote, Parks Board vote, be able to have a project ready. I don't think we need a public vote to execute on building and delivering a new baseball stadium.' Lucas added that the city isn't trying to avoid a public vote. 'If this passes that legislative session, the next day you can come to Kansas City. We can get an ordinance passed. We can make sure that we're getting dirt moving on a new stadium.' Tuesday, Kehoe talked about what the teams would invest in the state when it comes to their projects. 'Both the Royals have said this publicly, and the Chiefs have said publicly what remodeling Arrowhead to we think an iconic stadium similar to what Lambeau Field would be just an iconic place to go watch football,' Kehoe said. 'But both of those two projects combined, a new baseball stadium and a new football stadium, and this has been very public is somewhere in 2.5 billion with a B range, up to $3 billion.' The governor's proposal does not come without criticism though. Show-Me Institute Senior Fellow Patrick Tuohey believes the governor's proposal is a bad deal for taxpayers. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV 'These are very wealthy teams, very wealthy owners in an amazingly profitable industry,' Tuohey said. 'They have plenty of funds to build their own parks, to fund their own renovations. They make obscene amounts of money from television contracts, from ticket sales, from merchandise. They have all the resources they need to spend their own money.' The Chiefs and the Royals did not respond to our email requests for comment in time for our Tuesday deadline. Tuohey added his entity will be sharing more information on the governor's plan soon as they try to get state lawmakers to not support the plan. The special session starts at noon Monday in Jefferson City. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
