Kehoe planning special session for Chiefs, Royals stadium incentives

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe says he's considering calling a special session to discuss incentives the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals to renovate or build new stadiums.

In a email Kehoe's office said, "a special session is under consideration. It has not yet been called, so that is why dates and subjects of the potential special session are being talked about more broadly,"

The bill is aimed at keeping the two sports teams from moving to Kansas after lawmakers failed to pass a plan during their regular, annual session.

"This a huge economic development package, the Chiefs and Royals packages, and this has been very public about remodeling on the Arrowhead Stadium and potential new baseball stadium are somewhere between $2.5 and $3 billion," Kehoe told reporters during a Friday morning news conference. "I would consider that significant economic development.

"We will be looking at a way to get that back before the general assembly as well."

Both teams have publicly expressed interest in moving from Missouri to Kansas after Jackson County voters rejected a proposal last year to extend a sales tax to help finance a downtown baseball stadium and upgrades to Arrowhead Stadium.

The proposal would give the state's professional sports teams access to state funding for stadium projects through new bonds, but only if certain requirements are met.

The project must cost at least $500 million and involve stadiums with more than 30,000 seats. The state could cover up to 50% of the total cost and eligible teams could also access a tax credit worth up to 10% of their investment.

Kehoe said the idea of a special session is good for a large economic package, especially for big ones like this.

"My intention has always been if we come to a package that works that we think is buyable, it would likely require a special session anyway, just because of what I outlined earlier. Most of our largest if not all our largest recent economic proposals have required a special session," Kehoe said.

During Friday's news conference, Kehoe also touched on House Joint Resolution 73. The Senate ended its session early after Republicans forced a vote to approve a ballot measure to send abortion rights back to the voters. GOP leaders said Missourians were confused by the Amendment 3 language during the November election.

"If nothing happens, I believe it happens in November 2026, we'll look at the what the options are and what's good for Missourains, " Kehoe said.

The Senate also repealed a voter-approved requirement that employers provide workers with paid sick leave.

The measure now goes to the governor's desk for his signature.

"I do not think we should allow in this case a very liberal group from the east coast of our country come in and spend millions of dollars to put a question on the ballot that has nothing to do with the input with individually, privately owned businesses and I am not a big fan of mandates," Kehoe said.

Kehoe said when it comes to providing paid sick leave, the decision should be up to the employers.

"I think the markets should set what employees should get paid and the compensation are and I know business are very competitive in doing that they're always going to try to take care of their employees the best they can so they don't lose them to the business down the street thats something individual business owners should decided," Kehoe said.