It’s official. Kansas is trying to take the Chiefs and Royals from Missouri.
On Friday, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly I fell into law The legislation passed the Kansas House and Senate earlier this week, via ESPN.com.
The Kansas City metro area straddles the border, with nearly 60 percent of the population living on the Missouri side.
The law would cover 70% of the costs of new stadiums, and would require teams (hard math) to provide the remaining 30%.
Both teams have leases until 2030. Which means they can leave West of the border In 2031.
The law does not specifically mention leaders or members of the royal family. It refers instead to NFL and MLB teams “in any state contiguous with Kansas.” (This includes the Broncos and Rockies, technically.)
The door opened for Kansas when the people of Jackson County, Missouri, overwhelmingly rejected an extension of the sales tax to fund the renovation of Arrowhead Stadium and a new facility for the Royals.
Kansas City (Missouri) Mayor Quinton Lucas said this week that the city “will make a good offer” to both franchises, while acknowledging that the teams now have an “extraordinary position of influence.” At least one Kansas lawmaker believes her state is just leverage to get deals done in Missouri.
“The leaders and the royal family are very much using us,” Kansas Rep. Susan Ruiz said on ESPN.com. I voted against the bill.
It’s one of the few. So, if KS is used, it will be used happily. For everyone in the metro area, it’s best to limit the question to Missouri or Kansas and not, say, Missouri, Texas, Missouri, Toronto, Missouri, London, Missouri, or West Virginia. (Hey, I’d love to have a local team.)
