Kansas and Missouri are heading for a showdown over the future of the Royals and Chiefs, as Kansas moves to potentially finance new stadiums for the teams following a failed stadium tax vote in Missouri.
In a landmark decision, the Kansas Legislature has passed a bill that could pave the way for a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals. The legislation, which received bipartisan support, expands a state incentive program to entice the Royals, along with the Kansas City Chiefs, to potentially move their stadiums to the Kansas side of the border.
The legislation followed a decision by Jackson County voters in Missouri to reject a stadium sales tax in April. The tax would have relocated the Royals to downtown Kansas City while keeping them within the county. With the decision, Kansas has emerged as a serious contender for the teams' future home.
"Kansas City and the State of Missouri will continue their ongoing negotiations with team leaders to keep the teams in the city and state that have welcomed, funded, and supported the success of both teams since the 1960s," Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said. "Today's vote regrettably restarts the Missouri-Kansas incentive border war, creating leverage for the teams but injecting even greater uncertainty into the regional stadium conversation.
Critics of the plan argue that stadiums often fail to generate enough revenue to justify the public funds they receive. However, proponents, including Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican, see the move as a necessary investment in the future of Kansas City.
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