What’s going on with Missouri’s stadium plan? Your latest special session update
Missouri’s plan to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals inside state lines is back in the state Capitol this week as lawmakers rush to pass it before a looming deadline later this month.
The goal of the special session, called by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, is for lawmakers to pass legislation that offers incentives for the two teams. Tornado disaster relief in St. Louis, as well as millions of dollars for construction projects, are also on the table.
So, where does the stadiums plan stand? This week, the bill is set to be debated by the House, where, if passed, it would then head to Kehoe’s desk for his signature.
That vote, as of now, is expected to come on Wednesday.
“I feel pretty confident we’ll get it out,” said Rep. Chris Brown, a Kansas City Republican who is expected to handle the legislation. “It would be very surprising and exceedingly disappointing if we did not.”
The funding plan, if passed, would hand Missouri a major tool to keep the teams, allowing the state to offer incentives to cover up to 50% of the costs for new or improved stadiums. Kansas, on the other hand, is trying to lure the teams across state lines through a supercharged bonds program that could pay for up to 70% of new stadiums.
A June 30 deadline hangs over the Missouri Capitol. That’s when the Kansas bonds program is set to expire and the teams could decide whether to leave or stay.
While the Missouri House is largely expected to approve the legislation, its path over the past week was a rocky one. The bill required hourslong closed-door negotiations in the Senate, which was viewed as the largest hurdle to moving it across the finish line.
Just before 2:30 a.m. on Thursday, the Senate voted 19 to 13 to send it to the House.
In addition to the stadium incentives, the negotiations in the Senate now mean that the bill also requires some Republican-led counties (excluding Jackson and Clay counties) to ask local voters to put a cap on increases in property tax bills.
Over the next few days, the bill will wind through the legislative process in the House with a committee hearing likely on Tuesday. During that hearing, lawmakers could hear testimony from lobbyists for the Chiefs and Royals about what they want to build in Missouri — if they stay.
Inside the Capitol last week, the teams’ lobbyists urged senators to approve the plan, which they described as competitive with Kansas. But while the teams outlined their plans, if they decide to stay, neither would actually commit to Missouri.
This story was originally published June 9, 2025 at 12:04 PM.
