‘We’re serious about this’: Kansas committee working to create STAR bond proposal for Chiefs, Royals
MORE RAIN AND STORMS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. WE BEGIN WITH THE NEWS IMPACTING THE TRUMAN SPORTS COMPLEX, AND WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE AT SIX KMBC, NINE’S MATT EVANS IS AT THE SPORTS COMPLEX AFTER LEARNING THE ROYALS AND CHIEFS PLAN TO PURSUE NEXT STEPS SEPARATELY. LET’S BEGIN IN TOPEKA, WHERE KMBC NINE BRIAN JOHNSON IS OUTSIDE THE KANSAS STATE CAPITOL, AND BRIAN, LAWMAKERS ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF PLANNING. YEAH, AND THEY MAY MAKE UP THEIR MIND ACTUALLY PRETTY QUICK HERE. STATE LAWMAKERS ARE LOOKING AT OFFERING UP TO TWO TEAMS AN OPTION TO FINANCE 100% WITH TAXES THROUGH THOSE STAR BONDS. BASICALLY USING TOMORROW’S REVENUES TO BUILD THE PROJECT TODAY. AND THIS WOULD MEAN NO NEW TAXES FOR FOLKS IN KANSAS AND NO VOTE OF THE PEOPLE. NOW, KANSAS LAWMAKERS HELD A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE TODAY OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE COMMERCE. NOW, STATE LAWMAKERS SAY A BIG OPPORTUNITY THEY SEE THIS BIG OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE CHIEFS, THE ROYALS OR AN NBA OR NHL TEAMS TO THE STATE. THEY WANT TWO TEAMS TO COME, TWO KANSAS, AND THEY’LL FINANCE THE TWO STADIUM PROJECTS WITH 30,000 SEATS OR MORE, AND THEY’LL FUND THE PROJECTS 100% FINANCING FOR UP TO 30 YEARS. USING THOSE KANSAS STAR BONDS. THEY EXPECT THIS TO BE BIG PROJECTS. 2 TO $3 BILLION INVESTMENT. THE ONLY CATCH THE TWO TEAMS THAT COME HAVE UNTIL JUNE 2025 TO DECIDE. BASICALLY ONE YEAR TO MAKE UP THEIR MINDS. IT’S JUST IMPORTANT TO SEND A VERY POSITIVE MESSAGE TO THE SPORTS COMMUNITY THAT WE’RE HERE, AND WE’RE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SINCE JACKSON COUNTY DROPPED THE BALL HERE, THAT WE’RE IN A POSITION TO DO A SCOOP AND SCORE. AND GOVERNOR KELLEY HASN’T SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, NOR HAVE THE TEAMS PUBLICLY SAID ANYTHING. LAWMAKERS TOOK A 90 MINUTE RECESS. THEY WANT TO READ THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE IN THE BILL. THINK IT OVER. SOME LAWMAKERS HOPE TO PASS THIS TONIGHT, SENDING A CLEAR MESSAGE, A CLEAR INVITATION THAT THEY ARE SERIOUS ABOUT INVITING THESE TEAMS TO COME TO KANSAS. WE’LL FALL. WE’LL HAVE MORE UPDATES TONIGHT AT TEN LIVE IN TOPEKA. BRIAN JOHNSON, KMBC NINE NEWS. ALL RIGHT BRIAN THANK YOU. WE CONTINUE OUR TEAM COVERAGE BACK HERE IN THE METRO. KMBC NINE’S MATT EVANS HAS BEEN ON THE STORY ALL DAY LONG. AND MATT THE TEAMS ARE NOW WORKING ON THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL PLANS. YES THEY ARE. WE LEARNED THAT FROM OVER THE WEEKEND FROM CHIEFS OWNER CLARK HUNT, SPEAKING FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THAT VOTE FAILED WHILE WE STILL DON’T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE, WE ARE GETTING A BIT OF A BETTER PICTURE NOW. WE’RE DEFINITELY DISAPPOINTED WITH HOW THE STADIUM VOTE TURNED OUT. SHORTLY AFTER THE NFL DRAFT ENDED, CHIEFS OWNER CLARK HUNT TOOK QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE QUESTION ONE FAILED. SO WE’LL BE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. WE WILL LOOK AT ALL OF OUR OPTIONS, WHICH IS WHAT THE TEAM SAID BEFORE THE VOTE. RENOVATING ARROWHEAD IS STILL ON THE TABLE, BUT SEVERAL TIMES DURING THAT 15 MINUTE LONG PRESS CONFERENCE, HUNT SAID IT MAY MAKE MORE SENSE NOW TO BUILD A NEW STADIUM, BUT WE’RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO BE OPEN MINDED IN HOW WE APPROACH THIS AND THAT MAY INVOLVE A NEW STADIUM, AND IT COULD BE AN OPEN AIR STADIUM, OR IT COULD BE A DOMED STADIUM, WHICH MIGHT PUT THE TEAM AT ODDS WITH KANSAS CITY MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS, WHO IS NEGOTIATING ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. THE MAYOR TURNED DOWN OUR REQUEST FOR AN INTERVIEW TODAY, BUT TOLD KMBC RADIO THIS MORNING IF THE CHIEFS STAY IN KANSAS CITY, HE WANTS THEM TO STAY AT ARROWHEAD. I THINK ARROWHEAD STADIUM IS ONE OF THE BEST FACILITIES IN THE COUNTRY, IF NOT THE WORLD. HUNT ALSO SAID DURING THAT PRESS CONFERENCE THAT HE HAD A TALK WITH JOHN SHERMAN AFTER THE VOTE. THEY DECIDED MUTUALLY TO PART WAYS, WORK ON THEIR OWN STADIUM DEALS. WE DID TALK TO A ROYAL SPOKESPERSON TODAY WHO CONFIRMED THAT TO US, AND ALSO ADDED THAT THE ROYALS STILL HAVE ALL OF THEIR OPTIONS ON THE TABLE. BUT AS FAR AS A TIMELINE FOR EITHER TEAM, NEITHER WERE WILLING TO COMMENT TODAY. LIVE OUTSIDE ARROWHEAD STADIUM, MATT EVANS KMBC NINE NEWS. ALL RIGHT, A LOT TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW. BOTH TEAMS LEASES END
‘We’re serious about this’: Kansas committee working to create STAR bond proposal for Chiefs, Royals
Kansas legislators are making a play to move the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals across state lines. The Kansas Conference Committee on Senate and House Commerce met Monday and is taking up a bill to create a “major professional sports STAR Bond district.” State lawmakers say it would bring no new taxes and they say they’ll fund the project 100% with STAR bonds, basically using “tomorrow’s revenues” to fund today’s project.”We’re in a position to do a scoop and score,” said Kansas House Rep. Sean Tarwater. “No Kansan will be asked to pay any more taxes. We’re using tomorrow’s money and the revenue produced that will be approved over a 30-year period.” Tarwater said it’s about sending a message. “This is a positive message to the sports community…we’re here, we’re serious about this,” he said. Kansas Sen. Renee Erickson says it’s an “incredible opportunity” for Kansas, but members are discussing the potential bill. Tarwater said it would be nice to pass this to “send that message today.”The bill allows for the approval of two projects with a minimum $1 billion investment, targeting professional sports teams. They’ll finance up to two stadium projects with 30,000 seats or more. They plan to pay for the projects using STAR bonds, offering the teams 100% financing for up to 30 years. They expect it to be a $2-3 billion dollar investment. The teams will have until June 2025 to decide. The move comes after Jackson County voters rejected Question 1, which would have funded a new baseball stadium in downtown Kansas City, Missouri and help renovate and maintain Arrowhead Stadium. Chiefs owner and CEO Clark Hunt on Saturday said the teams are now working on their own to secure a future home. “The Chiefs and Royals will be working on separate plans for funding their new stadiums,” he said. “I really think at this point it makes sense for both of us to work independently. There’s currently nothing that to preclude us coming back and doing something together.” Hunt said the Chiefs are also looking at options outside of renovating their current home at One Arrowhead Drive. “The team will begin to look at options beyond renovating Arrowhead Stadium,” Hunt said Saturday. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, in the aftermath of the election, has had conversations with Royals owner John Sherman about the team’s future. It’s unclear if the city has spoken with the Chiefs. Jackson County Executive Frank White said at a meeting earlier this month he was not in contact with either franchise.
TOPEKA, Kan. —
Kansas legislators are making a play to move the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals across state lines.
The Kansas Conference Committee on Senate and House Commerce met Monday and is taking up a bill to create a “major professional sports STAR Bond district.”
State lawmakers say it would bring no new taxes and they say they’ll fund the project 100% with STAR bonds, basically using “tomorrow’s revenues” to fund today’s project.
“We’re in a position to do a scoop and score,” said Kansas House Rep. Sean Tarwater. “No Kansan will be asked to pay any more taxes. We’re using tomorrow’s money and the revenue produced that will be approved over a 30-year period.”
Tarwater said it’s about sending a message.
“This is a positive message to the sports community…we’re here, we’re serious about this,” he said.
Kansas Sen. Renee Erickson says it’s an “incredible opportunity” for Kansas, but members are discussing the potential bill.
Tarwater said it would be nice to pass this to “send that message today.”
The bill allows for the approval of two projects with a minimum $1 billion investment, targeting professional sports teams.
They’ll finance up to two stadium projects with 30,000 seats or more.
They plan to pay for the projects using STAR bonds, offering the teams 100% financing for up to 30 years.
They expect it to be a $2-3 billion dollar investment.
The teams will have until June 2025 to decide.
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Happening now: the #ksleg is making a play for the @Chiefs and @Royals.
The Conference Committee on Senate and House Commerce is meeting right now and taking up a bill to create a “Major professional Sports STAR Bond District” @kmbc
— Matt Evans (@MattEvansKMBC) April 29, 2024
The move comes after Jackson County voters rejected Question 1, which would have funded a new baseball stadium in downtown Kansas City, Missouri and help renovate and maintain Arrowhead Stadium.
Chiefs owner and CEO Clark Hunt on Saturday said the teams are now working on their own to secure a future home.
“The Chiefs and Royals will be working on separate plans for funding their new stadiums,” he said. “I really think at this point it makes sense for both of us to work independently. There’s currently nothing that to preclude us coming back and doing something together.”
Hunt said the Chiefs are also looking at options outside of renovating their current home at One Arrowhead Drive.
“The team will begin to look at options beyond renovating Arrowhead Stadium,” Hunt said Saturday.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, in the aftermath of the election, has had conversations with Royals owner John Sherman about the team’s future. It’s unclear if the city has spoken with the Chiefs.
Jackson County Executive Frank White said at a meeting earlier this month he was not in contact with either franchise.