Lawmakers in Kansas believe they have a very real chance of striking deals with the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals to build stadiums west of the state line. This week, they decided to give the teams six more months to negotiate on new stadiums, after the original deadline of June 30, 2025 passed.
The Missouri legislature recently passed stadium incentives of its own, as lawmakers scramble to keep the teams from moving.
Kansas House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard was part of the state's legislative leadership that voted for the extension, which he says was necessary to cement a deal.
"I think as we had opportunities to talk to the Department of Commerce, as we had conversations with representatives of both teams, we realized that deals this big do take a lot of time," Woodard told KCUR's Up To Date. "So, either we can just let them stay in Missouri, as they've now responded with their own incentive package, or we can extend the offer so they can continue those discussions."
Kansas' offer uses STAR Bonds to cover up to 70% of the cost of stadium projects, with the hope that economic activity from the development would recoup the loans.
