KANSAS CITY, Mo. — While leaders from across Jackson County met with state officials Wednesday to touch base on football and baseball stadium issues, a Clay County senator wants to make sure others are involved in the conversation.
Earlier this month, Missouri Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern (D - District 17, Clay County) filed SB710, which would create the Clay County Sports Complex Authority.
The authority would be tasked with “developing, maintaining, or maintaining sports, convention, exhibition and or trade facilities” in Clay County.
The bill got a first read on Feb. 17. It has not been advanced since then.
"Nobody wants to see a multi-million-dollar business take its investments and jobs to another state – no matter if that business makes cars or wins pennants," Nurrenbern said in a statement to KSHB 41 News on Wednesday. "If a major sports team is interested in bringing their money and their jobs to Clay County, we need to be ready to work with them or they may leave Missouri entirely. That is why I have filed legislation to protect taxpayers while positioning our County to take advantage of a once-in-a-generation opportunity for significant economic development."
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The Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals have continued exploring stadium options following the expiration of their leases on Jan. 31, 2031, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadium respectively.
The two teams have worked with the Jackson County Sports Authority for decades at the Truman Sports Complex.
Members of the Clay County Board of Commissioners have closely followed new stadium development since early 2024 when the two teams asked Jackson County voters to approve a sales tax that would extend a funding mechanism to cover costs for new or redeveloped stadiums.
Jackson County Legislator Sean Smith was among local leaders attending Wednesday’s sessions in Jefferson City.
Smith told KSHB 41 News reporter Charlie Keegan he did not see Nurrenbern’s bill as being “competitive to Jackson County.”
“The reality is if they [Clay County] want to have a sports team, let's just say they build an auditorium and they want a hockey team, great, go for it,” Smith said. “There shouldn't be anything at the state level that prohibits Clay County or any county from doing that. They're trying to set that up as a possibility, but I don't see that as particularly impactful to what's going to happen with Arrowhead or the Jackson County Sports Complex."
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