Kansas governor plans ‘special announcement’ as Chiefs stadium talks escalate
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly schedules Monday announcement as Chiefs talks intensify
- Kansas lawmakers convene LCC meeting to review a stadium incentive proposal
- Missouri officials offer north of $1.5B to keep Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is reportedly planning a special announcement on Monday after a highly anticipated meeting regarding the future of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The scheduled announcement, which The Star confirmed with two Kansas lawmakers, has ratcheted up the intensity surrounding Monday’s Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council, or LCC, meeting, where top lawmakers are poised to discuss a not-yet-disclosed proposal between the Chiefs and the state of Kansas.
Together, the meeting and scheduled announcement could provide the clearest picture of Kansas’ offer to the Chiefs and the seriousness with which the team is considering moving out of the stadium it has called home for five decades.
The Democratic governor’s announcement was first reported Friday by The Sunflower State Journal, which obtained a copy of an invitation from the Kansas Department of Commerce. A Kelly spokesperson declined to confirm details about the announcement or Kelly’s schedule for Monday.
Kansas leaders have recently touted the moment as significant and have signaled a deal could be in the works to move the team across state lines. The energy in Kansas has sparked concern in the team’s home state of Missouri, where officials have tried to seek answers.
In response to the report of Kelly’s scheduled announcement, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas sent a lengthy statement to The Star that emphasized Missouri’s attempts to keep the team in their home state.
“Kansas City, the State of Missouri, and the new executive team at Jackson County have continued negotiations with our teams through this week,” Lucas said. “Kansas City and its partners have made compelling but responsible offers north of $1.5 billion with identifiable and backed sources of funds to maintain the legacy of Arrowhead Stadium while updating its facilities to remain among the finest in the National Football League and in the world.”
Lucas went on to suggest that a decision by the Chiefs to leave Missouri should not be a reflection on Kansas City and Jackson County.
“Any decision to depart from such a legacy home would have no reflection on the outstanding people of Kansas City and Jackson County who for fifty years have given their passion, energy, and public investment into building the Chiefs into one of America’s finest sports brands,” the mayor said. “We’ll reserve further comment until we hear from the Kansas City Chiefs.”
Monday’s meeting in Kansas — and Kelly’s announcement — could mark the culmination of a protracted fight over the team between Kansas and Missouri.
Lawmakers in both states have passed sweeping incentives packages to attract the Chiefs and Kansas City Royals after Jackson County voters rejected a 3/8th-cent sales tax extension in April 2024 that would have kept the Chiefs at their current home.
Kansas’s incentives package uses a supercharged bonding program called STAR bonds that could pay for up to 70% of new stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals. Missouri’s plan, approved this summer, would pay for up to 50% of new stadiums for the teams.
Kelly and other Kansas officials have repeatedly said the state’s stadium incentive offer is intended not to undercut Missouri but to ensure the Chiefs and Royals have a permanent home in the region. In an interview with The Star Thursday, Kelly noted that Missouri lawmakers allowed the 2019 border truce between the two states to expire.
“I know that Missouri has essentially ended the (border truce) deal that we had. I’m standing by it,” Kelly said. “We will not go across the border and try to entice companies to come across the state line . . . But when you’re talking about something like a sports team, that’s very, very different than a corporate entity.”
Kansas House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Lenexa Democrat, confirmed to The Star on Saturday that he was invited to Kelly’s special announcement on Monday and would be in attendance. Woodard did not respond to a follow-up question about the subject of the announcement.
Rep. Stephanie Clayton, an Overland Park Democrat, confirmed that she was also invited to the announcement but said she could not attend. Clayton also did not respond to follow-up questions Sunday.
Over the past several days and throughout the weekend, a wave of anxiety rushed over officials in Missouri. While local leaders conveyed confidence in their ability to keep the Chiefs, some Missouri officials expressed concern that may not be the case.
“It definitely feels like Kansas has a lot of momentum,” Kansas City Councilman Wes Rogers told The Star in a text message Sunday morning, saying that he would be watching developments in Kansas closely.
Ahead of the revelations about Kelly’s announcement, Jackson County Executive Phil LeVota gathered a slew of reporters for a press conference on Friday to announce his attempt to keep the Chiefs.
The top executive’s plan included putting a new sales tax on the ballot to renovate GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, which he dubbed “Operation Save Arrowhead.”
LeVota did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday. He previously told The Star that he had spoken with Chiefs President Mark Donovan and talked strategy with Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and Lucas as speculation ramped up on Thursday and Friday.
