KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
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Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe is strongly considering calling a special session so legislators can pass a proposal to help professional sports teams finance stadium renovations or relocations.
The State Senate failed to pass Senate Bill 80 after the State House of Representatives signed off on the proposal during the final week of the general legislative session.
The bill would allow the state to redirect taxes generated at a stadium back to the professional sports teams so they could use the money to pay off construction loans.
When a governor proclaims a special session, members of the House and Senate return to Jefferson City for a maximum of 60 days. They can only discuss and vote on items listed in the governor’s priorities for the session.
Under the previous governor, Mike Parson, Missouri held special sessions in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 to discuss policies on taxes, violence prevention, healthcare funding, and more.
In 2024, Kansas used a special session to pass a stadium financing package to lure the teams across the state line.
“I think it [a special session] will happen,” said Bob Hicks. “I think they’ll come up with something. But I don’t know if it’s going to be competitive enough at this point based on what Kansas has already done.”
Sports fans like Hicks expect Kehoe to call a special session, but aren’t convinced how it will impact the team’s ultimate decisions.
“I think people will show up, but I don’t think it’s the right way to do it,” said Barbara Larson, a local sports fan. “The governor was too late to the table to make a proposal.”
People expect Kehoe to call for a special session before the end of June.
