Getty Image
The Chiefs and the Royals are currently engaged in a bit of a standoff with Kansas City as they attempt to secure public funds linked to their stadiums, and the state of Kansas has entered the fray after its legislature passed a bill in the hopes of getting them to ditch Missouri.
If you’re like me, you spent far too many years on this planet operating under the assumption the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals were located in the state that lends its name to the metropolis they’ve respectively called home since 1963 and 1969.
However, Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium are firmly located in Missouri, and the two franchises have spent over 50 years giving a boost to the local economy of the Kansas City that’s located to the east of the Missouri River (not to be confused with the smaller one of the same name that is located in the real, actual Kansas).
Both of those teams spent close to two decades reaping the benefits of a 3/8-cent sales tax that was initially introduced in 2006 to give the Chiefs money they could use to renovate Arrowhead and allow the Royals to amass a fund they could use to construct a new stadium.
However, they each suffered a bit of a setback in April when voters declined to approve a ballot measure that would have extended it for 40 years (and raised an estimated $2 billion in the process) after representatives for both teams firmly implied they’d consider relocating if it didn’t pass.
It’s unclear what the future holds for the Chiefs and the Royals after that possible bluff was called, but according to ESPN, lawmakers across the border in Kansas have made it clear they’d be willing to welcome them with open arms after passing a bill approving the sale of government bonds the teams could harness to build new stadiums and practice facilities while covering up to 70% of the cost.
It’s unclear if Kansas Governer Laura Kelly plans to sign the bill when it lands on her desk, but as the outlet notes, she seemed to tease the possibility by saying the state “now has the opportunity to become a professional sports powerhouse” after it made it through the legislature.
The lease on the property that’s home to the stadiums where the Chiefs and Royals currently play is set to expire in 2031, so both franchises have a fair amount of time to weigh their options before making a decision concerning their future.