Kansas Approves Bonds for Chiefs and Royals Stadiums, Potentially Luring Teams Away from Missouri

Kansas City, Kansas United States of America
Chiefs are planning to invest between $500 million and $700 million in private funds for their new stadium.
Governor Kelly expressed excitement about Kansas becoming a professional sports powerhouse.
Kansas House and Senate have approved plans to finance new stadiums and practice facilities for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.
Revenues from sports betting, state lottery ticket sales, and new taxes will be used to pay off the bonds over a period of 30 years.
The proposal authorizes state bonds to cover up to 70% of each new stadium's construction costs.
Kansas Approves Bonds for Chiefs and Royals Stadiums, Potentially Luring Teams Away from Missouri

In a recent development, both the Kansas House and Senate have approved plans to finance new stadiums and practice facilities for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals. The proposal, which is expected to be signed into law by Governor Laura Kelly, could potentially lure these professional sports teams away from Missouri.

The legislation authorizes state bonds to cover up to 70% of each new stadium's construction costs. Revenues from sports betting, state lottery ticket sales, and new sales and alcohol taxes collected from shopping and entertainment districts around the stadiums will be used to pay off the bonds over a period of 30 years.

The Chiefs are reportedly planning to invest between $500 million and $700 million in private funds for their new stadium. The Royals, on the other hand, have not yet made any official announcements regarding their intentions.

Republican legislators had previously promised that the stadium proposal would not be brought up until they first approved a plan to cut income and property taxes by a total of $1.23 billion over the next three years. However, this promise was set aside in order to move forward with the stadium legislation.

Governor Kelly expressed her excitement about Kansas becoming a professional sports powerhouse with the potential addition of both teams.

Missouri may be motivated to make a counteroffer in an attempt to keep the Chiefs and Royals within its borders. Stay tuned for further developments on this story.



Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • Exact amount of Royals' investment in new stadium is unknown.
  • It's unclear if Missouri will make a counteroffer to keep the teams.

Sources

80%

  • Unique Points
    • Kansas legislators approved a plan to authorize state bonds for financing new stadiums and practice facilities for the Chiefs and Royals in Kansas City
    • Governor Laura Kelly expressed excitement about Kansas becoming a professional sports powerhouse
    • State bonds could cover up to 70% of each new stadium, paid off over 30 years with revenues from sports betting, state lottery ticket sales and new sales and alcohol taxes collected from shopping and entertainment districts around the new stadiums
    • Chiefs are likely to spend $500 million to $700 million in private funds on a new stadium
    • Republicans had promised that the stadium proposal wouldn’t come up until they first approved a plan to cut income and property taxes by a total of $1.23 billion over the next three years
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (30%)
    The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of Kansas trying to lure professional sports teams away from Missouri with new stadiums. The article does not mention any potential negative consequences or opposing viewpoints. It also uses emotional manipulation by describing the Chiefs as 'the area's most celebrated civic asset' and Travis Kelce's romance with Taylor Swift.
    • Three Super Bowl victories in five years … have made the Chiefs perhaps the area’s most celebrated civic asset.
    • Economists who study pro sports teams have concluded in dozens of studies that a new stadium and shopping-and-entertainment area merely takes existing economic activity away from elsewhere in a community, resulting in little or no net gain.
    • Legislators debated the plan during a one-day special session called by Kelly to have them consider reducing taxes after she vetoed three tax-cutting plans before legislators adjourned their regular annual session May 1. Republican leaders had promised that the stadium proposal wouldn’t come up until the Legislature first approved a plan to cut income and property taxes by a total of $1.23 billion over the next three years.
    • The approval capped a two-month push to capitalize on the refusal in April by voters on the Missouri side to continue a local sales tax used to finance the upkeep of the teams’ stadiums.
    • Yet Probst voted for the bill.
  • Fallacies (80%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it states 'Economists who study pro sports teams have concluded in dozens of studies that a new stadium and shopping-and-entertainment area merely takes existing economic activity away from elsewhere in a community, resulting in little or no net gain.' This statement is presented as fact without any evidence provided to support it beyond the authority of economists. Additionally, there are instances of inflammatory rhetoric used by some legislators and Mayor Quinton Lucas when they refer to the teams using Kansas and the situation being about leverage.
    • Economists who study pro sports teams have concluded in dozens of studies that a new stadium and shopping-and-entertainment area merely takes existing economic activity away from elsewhere in a community, resulting in little or no net gain.
    • There are visions of sugar plums
    • It's a zero-sum game
  • Bias (95%)
    The article does not demonstrate any clear bias towards a specific political, religious, ideological or monetary position. However, there are instances where the author uses language that could be perceived as favorable towards the Kansas legislature's plan to build new stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals. The author describes the plan as 'incredibly real' and quotes Korb Maxwell, an attorney for the Chiefs, saying 'This is incredibly real.' These statements could be seen as biased in favor of the stadium construction. However, they do not represent a significant enough departure from neutral reporting to warrant a score below 95.
    • Legislators debated the plan during a one-day special session called by Kelly to have them consider reducing taxes after she vetoed three tax-cutting plans before legislators adjourned their regular annual session May 1.
      • Republican leaders had promised that the stadium proposal wouldn’t come up until the Legislature first approved a plan to cut income and property taxes by a total of $1.23 billion over the next three years.
        • The plan from the Republican-controlled Legislature goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
          • Yet Probst voted for the bill.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          81%

          • Unique Points
            • Kansas legislators approved a plan to finance new stadiums and practice facilities for the Chiefs and Royals on June 18, 2024.
            • State bonds could cover up to 70% of each new stadium, with revenues from sports betting, state lottery ticket sales and new sales and alcohol taxes used to pay off the bonds over 30 years.
            • Republicans had promised that the stadium proposal wouldn’t come up until they first approved a plan to cut income and property taxes by a total of $1.23 billion over the next three years.
          • Accuracy
            No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
          • Deception (30%)
            The article engages in selective reporting by focusing on the positive aspects of the stadium financing plan without mentioning the potential economic drawbacks. The author does not provide any peer-reviewed studies to support their claims about the economic benefits of the new stadiums. Additionally, there is emotional manipulation through phrases like 'refusal by voters on the Missouri side to continue a local sales tax used to finance the upkeep of the teams’ stadiums' and 'the teams are in an exceptional leverage position'. The author also uses sensational language such as 'making a serious run at becoming the new home for the reigning Super Bowl champions' and 'professional sports powerhouse'.
            • There are visions of sugar plums.
            • The plan from the Republican-controlled Legislature goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. While she stopped short of promising to sign it, she said in a statement that "Kansas now has the opportunity to become a professional sports powerhouse."
          • Fallacies (80%)
            The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it states 'Economists who study pro sports teams have concluded in dozens of studies that a new stadium and shopping and entertainment area merely takes existing economic activity away from elsewhere in a community, resulting in little or no net gain.' This statement implies that the conclusions of economists are definitive and infallible, without providing any context or evidence to support this claim.
            • Economists who study pro sports teams have concluded in dozens of studies that a new stadium and shopping and entertainment area merely takes existing economic activity away from elsewhere in a community, resulting in little or no net gain.
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          99%

          • Unique Points
            • Kansas Senate approved the STAR bonds bill, HB 2001, with a vote of 27-8
            • Funding will be repaid through sales tax on alcohol sales within the stadium district, sports gambling revenue, and lottery gaming revenue
          • Accuracy
            • The bill now heads to Governor Laura Kelly’s desk for signing
            • Governor Kelly has pledged to work with both parties on policies beneficial to Kansas
          • Deception (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          98%

          • Unique Points
            • Kansas House passed a bill to fund new stadiums for the Chiefs and Royals with STAR bonds
            • The Chiefs have a lease running through 2030 but can still move to Kansas
            • Missouri may be motivated to make a counteroffer
          • Accuracy
            No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
          • Deception (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          83%

          • Unique Points
            • Kansas House of Representatives and Senate passed a bill creating a Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bond district for financing new facilities for up to two professional sports franchises.
            • Each team will have to provide only $600 million to $900 million of the total costs, while investors will assume all risk.
            • Jackson County legislator Manny Abarca submitted a resolution to create a countywide sales tax for retaining the Kansas City Chiefs in Jackson County.
          • Accuracy
            No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
          • Deception (30%)
            The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of the Chiefs potentially moving to Kansas. The author does not mention any potential negative consequences or opposition to the bill in Kansas. Additionally, there is emotional manipulation through Rep. Sean Tarwater's statement 'are you going to step up today and take a leap of faith and make this happen – keep them in the metroplex and bring money to Kansas?' which attempts to appeal to readers' emotions.
            • The recent effort to build the Kansas City Chiefs a new stadium and practice facility in Kansas has passed its first legislative step.
            • There’s a good reason both teams believe this could be a good option for them.
            • But now there’s a moment for Kansas to step up and [provide] an option for us all here.
            • Missouri spoke [and] Jackson County spoke. They had their opportunity.
            • Rep. Sean Tarwater of Stilwell asked lawmakers during the House debate, per the Kansas City Star.
          • Fallacies (85%)
            The author uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating 'there's a moment for Kansas to step up and [provide] an option for us all here.' This is an appeal to emotion and can be considered a form of informal fallacy. The author also makes use of dichotomous depiction by presenting the situation as if there are only two options: either Kansas builds new facilities for the Chiefs and Royals or Missouri does. This oversimplifies the issue and ignores potential alternatives.
            • ]The recent effort to build the Kansas City Chiefs a new stadium and practice facility in Kansas has passed its first legislative step.[
            • There's a moment for Kansas to step up and [provide] an option for us all here.
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication