By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A special legislative session called in Jefferson City to consider an incentive package to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri could wrap up as early as Wednesday.
St. Joseph state Rep. Brenda Shields says the legislature understands the importance of the Chiefs and the Royals.
“As well as the Show Me Investment Act, which is the stadium bill, but the amateur sporting tax credit, which is very important to St. Joseph and why we’ve been able to bring so many great college tournaments and youth sports to St. Joseph is because of that tax credit,” Shields tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “So, there is something in here very important for St. Joseph.”
Shields calls keeping the two professional sports teams in the state incredibly important.
“We know how important the Chiefs and the Royals are, but they are truly an economic driver as well as a job-creator for our state,” Shields says.
The Missouri Senate approved the incentive package for the Chiefs and Royals last week after Gov. Mike Kehoe amended his special session call to include broader tax relief provisions.
Shields expects the House to follow up the action by the Senate. Shields says the legislature understands the importance of the two teams, adding that the numbers are impressive: $28 million in annual tax revenue and $572 million in economic activity.
“And the Royals we know are looking for a new stadium and looking to build one,” Shields says. “And if we’re able to keep them in Missouri and in Kansas City, labor alone will be $440 million is what we’re expecting and $1.28 billion will be their annual contribution to the state.”
Shields adds she believes the House will give its approval to a disaster assistance package being pushed by Gov. Kehoe as well as a much scaled down capital improvement package. Shields says the St. Joseph area legislative delegation was unable to find an avenue to reinstate $7 million for the UMKC dental school on the Missouri Western State University campus or $2.8 million to make improvements to the Chiefs Training Camp at MWSU.
The special legislation session in Jefferson City could conclude its business soon.
“I am sure there’ll be lots of discussion on the House floor, but the House runs a little bit different than the Senate. We run by different rules,” Shields points out. “I anticipate that we’ll be able to finish up our work by the end of Wednesday.”
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