In the Game of Thrones series, a handful of political powerhouses attempt to seize control of the Seven Kingdoms and rule the world known as Westeros.
In the real world, Kansas lawmakers made a major move Tuesday to gain access to Chiefs kingdom.
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Fans before the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl 55 victory parade on February 15, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (David Ullitt/Getty Images)
The Kansas state legislature has approved a plan to lure the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals across the state line from Missouri, with lawmakers passing a bill to issue state bonds to help finance new stadiums and practice facilities for both teams.
Governor Laura Kelly issued a statement on the bill’s passage.
“I have committed to working with lawmakers of both parties on policies that benefit Kansas,” she said. “This bipartisan effort to invite the Chiefs and Royals to Kansas shows we are committed to keeping our beloved teams in the Kansas City metropolitan area.”
“Kansas now has an opportunity to become a professional sports powerhouse. The Chiefs and Royals could join Sporting Kansas City as a major league team of note, surrounded by a strong revenue-generating entertainment district that would bring new jobs, new visitors and new revenue to boost the Kansas economy.”
The approval was part of a two-month effort to capitalize on Missouri voters’ rejection of the continuation of a local sales tax that would fund the maintenance of the team’s stadium.
A woman and her dog walk in front of Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals baseball team, in Kansas City, Missouri on March 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
Kirk Cousins is ignoring outside noise and focusing on leading the Falcons into his 13th NFL season.
Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas has promised to come up with a plan to keep both teams.
“Today’s game, in my opinion, was mostly about leverage,” Lucas said, “and both teams are in exceptionally favorable positions.”
Under the plan, up to 70 percent of the cost of each new stadium would be funded with state bonds, to be paid back over 30 years with revenues from sports betting, state lottery proceeds and new sales and liquor taxes from districts built around the new stadiums.
Both the Chiefs and Royals released statements regarding the bill.
“We appreciate that Kansas state leaders proactively sought input on the proposed STAR bond legislation,” the Chiefs said. Fox 4KC“We support their efforts to expand existing programs and congratulate them on passing the bill during the special session. We look forward to exploring the options this bill may bring.”
Fans cheer at Arrowhead Stadium during the first half of an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions on September 7, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Reid Hoffman, File)
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“We are grateful to the Kansas Legislature for taking bipartisan action today, giving our state a practical tool to achieve our economic development goals,” the Royals added. “The Kansas City Royals look forward to further discussions as we consider where to play baseball in the future. We will always keep the interests of our fans, stakeholders and taxpayers first in this process.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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