It all kind of started with a “no.” Last April, Jackson County voters gave a hard pass to a 3/8th cent sales tax extension meant to fund a new Royals stadium and renovate Arrowhead for the Chiefs. The proposal was rejected 58% to 42%, leaving both teams without a clear funding path. Royals owner John Sherman looked stunned. Clark Hunt wasn’t thrilled either. And fans? Torn. Some blamed timing, and others blamed miscommunication.

And that’s when Kansas lawmakers saw their chance. They slid in with a counteroffer: STAR bonds, state help, and maybe even a stadium right across the border. Their offer? They will use money from sports betting, lottery, and sales tax bonds. And ever since then, this move has intensified the rivalry between the neighboring states, as Missouri scrambled to counter the offer.

Fast forward to now, and Kansas’ offer is set to expire at the end of this month. But there’s a twist. The Missouri legislature and a State Senate Committee passed the bill 6-3 on Tuesday. Translation? See, the bill to fund the Chiefs and Royals for a new/renovated stadium is now with the Senate, and the bill (Senate Bill 3) will try to keep the Chiefs and the Royals in Missouri.

But it’s not as straightforward as it sounds. As per the SB3, the state is ready to cover 50% of the cost of renovating the Arrowhead stadium for the Chiefs and building a new stadium for the Royals. Rich AuBuchon, a lobbyist who is representing the Chiefs, testified in support of the team to renovate its stadium. He suggested that if Clark Hunt’s team stays in Missouri, they’d renovate the Arrowhead.

“It is a plan that costs $1.15 billion for the Chiefs as of today,” he put his point in front of the committee. Back in February 2024, the cost of the stadium’s renovation was $800 million, and the Chiefs’ owner was supposed to put in $300 million of ’em. But the plot thickened when the Jackson County voters rejected a sales tax increase in April 2024. The result? The plan failed.

Cut to the present, AuBuchon admitted that if the Arrowhead stadium is renovated, the Chiefs will stay in Missouri for the next three decades (it was 25 years back in February 2024 as per the previous plan). How would it work, you ask? See, Senate Bill 3 allows the teams to borrow money (issue bonds), backed up by the amount of state tax money they brought in the year before.

And the last time we checked, the Chiefs have been generating a pretty good tax revenue. We’re talking about $28.8 million, approximately, in annual tax revenue for the state of Missouri and around $572.3 million in economic activity for Jackson County, annually. So it seems they can borrow that much to help with the costs. The teams’ representatives are all in, but a few folks (Patrick Tuohey from the Show-Me Institute) are against the bill. Tuohey’s point?

He criticized the idea, stating that the Chiefs and the Royals are turning the neighboring states against each other. But the big question: where does this situation currently stand? As per Senate President Cindy O’Laughlin, the Senate will debate the bill on Wednesday. There are 34 senators. 18 would work in favor of the Chiefs and the Royals. They could vote on that as early as Wednesday. But one more big question: how does Clark Hunt feel about the Arrowhead Stadium?

What does Clark Hunt have in mind for the Chiefs’ stadium?

Arrowhead Stadium has been one of the oldest stadiums in the NFL. Built in 1972, it has been the home of the Chiefs since 1972, and is the third oldest stadium for any NFL team. The Chiefs’ home ground is just behind the Chicago Bears‘ Soldier Field and the Green Bay Packers‘ Lambeau Field. Now that the time to renovate their home field is here, Clark Hunt and Co. have to make a decision.

Either they go all in for the new stadium or stick with what’s already here. But let’s face it—looking at the past few seasons of the Chiefs, Hunt would surely want to decide what is best for his team. The Kansas House Speaker, Dan Hawkins, admitted that Hunt and Co. still have time to make a deal if they want. Their proposed bill will expire at the end of this month. And if the Chiefs want to come to Kansas, they’re welcome—that’s what Hawkins believes.

But it’s up to the Chiefs’ owner what he actually wants. If the reports are accurate, the Hunt family wants a dome-shaped stadium. And that means only one thing. If they’re in pursuit of a domed-shaped facility, they’re going to stick with the current plan. And that’s Missouri Legislature’s SB3, which the State Senate Committee will debate on this Wednesday.

Not to mention that the Clark Hunt has already expressed his desire to host a Super Bowl at Arrowhead Stadium. If all works out in favor of the Chiefs and the Royals, and if Hunt really manages to get approved for a domed-shaped stadium, there is a possibility for ’em to host the Super Bowl.