A proposed deal on Missouri’s Chiefs, Royals plan? Your latest stadiums update
As Missouri lawmakers prepare to debate a plan to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in the state, a deal could be in the works between Republican senators and Gov. Mike Kehoe.
The proposed deal, announced late Tuesday night by Sen. Joe Nicola, a Grain Valley Republican, could allow the plan to advance in the state Senate without Republican roadblocks. That would clear a major hurdle as Kehoe pushes to offer incentives during a special session designed to stop the teams from leaving for Kansas.
Whether the proposed deal actually comes together is another story. More than four hours after the Senate was expected to debate the bill, the stadiums plan was in limbo Wednesday afternoon as senators negotiate changes.
A hard-right group of senators called the Freedom Caucus had promised to derail the stadiums plan when it reached the Senate floor if Kehoe didn’t expand the special session to include their priorities. They wanted tax cuts and legislation that would make it harder for voters to amend the state constitution.
Nicola, in a social media video, said he and four other unnamed senators met with Kehoe late Monday morning to discuss their priorities. After that meeting, Nicola said he plans to add as an amendment to the stadiums bill legislation that would allow counties to cap homeowners’ property tax liabilities at 5%.
“If we can get some property tax relief, then I will be for this bill,” Nicola said in the video. “So, we’ve agreed to put it on the bill as an amendment.”
Nicola’s focus on property taxes comes as tax assessments have long been a source of frustration in Jackson County after assessments jumped dramatically in recent years. A spokesperson for Kehoe did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether the governor agreed to the deal.
When asked about the possibility of senators adding the property tax legislation to the stadiums bill, Senate President Pro Tem Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, said, “It is being discussed.”
Nicola’s announcement comes as the state Senate is expected to debate the stadiums plan as early as Wednesday. After clearing a Senate committee on Tuesday, the chamber’s floor debate poses the biggest test of the legislation as it faces growing resistance from members of both parties.
The goal of the special session, called by Kehoe, is for lawmakers to pass legislation that offers incentives for the two teams. Disaster relief for residents affected by recent tornadoes in St. Louis and millions of dollars for construction projects, including nearly $50 million for a mental health hospital in Kansas City, are also on the table.
In addition to Republican opposition, Senate Democrats, who also met with Kehoe, have vowed not to discuss stadium funding until the state approves more money for victims of the St. Louis-area tornadoes.
The Chiefs and Royals proposal could also face resistance from senators philosophically opposed to public financing of stadiums.
Decades of academic research have consistently found that stadiums and arenas are not major drivers of economic development. But many Missouri officials in recent weeks have embraced the idea, portraying stadiums as significant economic development projects.
Any opposition to the legislation — including whether Nicola’s proposed deal works out — could spell doom for Missouri’s effort to respond to Kansas’ push to lure the teams across the state line.
Missouri lawmakers face a ticking clock. While state law allows special sessions to last up to 60 days, the end of June looms over the Missouri Capitol.
When Kansas lawmakers passed, and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly signed, a plan to lure the teams across the state line, the bonds program included a June 30 expiration date.
Both teams have said they would like to decide by then whether to try to use the Kansas program to move across the state line.
Supporters of keeping the teams in Missouri view that deadline as a warning to get a competing offer on the table.
This story was originally published June 4, 2025 at 11:31 AM.
