Top MO lawmaker pressures Jackson County on Chiefs, Royals plan: ‘Time is running out’
A powerful Missouri lawmaker on Thursday put pressure on Jackson County leaders to come up with a plan to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, suggesting that another stadium vote could come later this year.
House Speaker Jonathan Patterson, a Lee’s Summit Republican, told reporters inside the state Capitol that Jackson County leaders needed to develop a stadium funding plan — and fast — before Missouri officials commit to anything.
“The time is running out,” Patterson said. “I think it is time for a plan and course of action. And I do want to reiterate, I do think this is going to be something that has to happen in the county first and then the state.”
The top Republican lawmaker added that he supports Jackson County leaders putting a Chiefs-only stadium proposal on the November ballot. That funding would serve as the foundation for any Missouri-led stadium package, he said.
Patterson’s sense of urgency comes eight months after Kansas lawmakers passed an aggressive financing proposal to lure one or both of the teams across the state line. Kansas launched the effort after Jackson County voters rejected a stadium tax that would have effectively guaranteed the teams would stay in Missouri after their leases expire in 2031.
With the legislative session underway, there appears to be newfound energy among state officials to respond to Kansas.
Jackson County Legislators Manny Abarca and Sean Smith are expected to visit Jefferson City next Wednesday to discuss the future of the teams with top state lawmakers and Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, who took over the office last month.
Abarca, who has filed proposals to put another stadium tax to a vote, said it will be important to learn how much support a funding plan will get from state officials, particularly under Kehoe’s new administration.
“It would be ideal to hear from House and Senate leadership that this is something they’re interested in doing,” Abarca said. “That they’re going to be serious like the state of Kansas is in trying to maintain the Chiefs and the Royals, for that matter, in the state of Missouri.”
When asked about Wednesday’s meeting and Patterson’s comments, a spokesperson for Jackson County Executive Frank White referred The Star to his past remarks about the Chiefs and Royals. White has repeatedly said that keeping the teams was a priority, but that any funding agreement would have to be fair to Jackson County residents.
The Kansas-backed plan relies on Sales Tax and Revenue, or STAR bonds. Under the law, the bonds would be paid back by tax revenues from within any new stadiums and surrounding retail development, as well as future sports betting and Kansas Lottery revenues.
However, extensive research has shown that stadium projects almost never earn back the amount of public aid that goes into them. Decades of research show stadiums aren’t major drivers of economic growth.
In the months after Kansas approved the supercharged bonding plan, Missouri officials — at least publicly — have not rushed to respond. While Kehoe’s office has not released any concrete funding plans, he’s also said that releasing information about ongoing negotiations could give competitors an advantage.
Patterson, who said he supports public funding to keep the teams, compared it to building a house. Funding from Jackson County would be the house’s foundation and Missouri needs that “before we start talking about windows and curtains,” he said.
“I think Jackson County will need to decide whether they want to support this venture,” Patterson said. “Or will they have an empty parking lot or empty stadiums?”
This story was originally published February 20, 2025 at 3:37 PM.
