Christopher Smith for The Washington Post via Getty Images
The state of Kansas has its eye on the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.
According to the Associated Press, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has signed a plan to fund new stadiums for NFL and MLB teams.
The proposal, which was approved on June 18, would “authorize state bonds for stadium construction and pay them back with revenue from sports betting, the Kansas Lottery and additional tax dollars generated in and around the new venues.”
“I’ve wanted to see the Chiefs in Kansas all my life, but I hope we can do it in a way that is an asset to these communities rather than creating additional burdens on them,” Democratic Rep. Jason Probst told reporters.
The teams currently have a lease on the stadium through January 2031, but Missouri voters in April rejected a proposed sales tax extension to fund stadium maintenance. State lawmakers, meanwhile, want both organizations to develop plans for new stadiums or renovations that will be ready by the time the current leases expire.
Missouri lawmakers will reportedly push just as hard to keep both licenses as the threat from their rival from across the state grows.
“They are a source of great pride,” Missouri Republican Rep. John Patterson told reporters about the two franchises.
Sports associations often point to the economic benefits of building stadiums in communities. However, most economists and studies conclude that subsidizing stadiums is not a good investment for cities and their residents.
But that won’t stop Kansas lawmakers from continuing to try to poach the Chiefs and Royals, citing the supposed benefits of such a plan.
“You have that capital and all the businesses that are going to locate there or be established there because of it,” Kansas Republican Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Republican, told reporters. “You’re going to get commerce out of that area every day.”
