Public funds could back stadiums, venues under proposed Missouri act

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KBSI) — The Show-Me Sports Investment Act is making its way through the Missouri state legislature. If passed, the measure would allocate taxpayer dollars to help fund athletic and entertainment facility projects.

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe is backing the legislation that could pour millions in state tax dollars into professional sports venues—just as the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals consider relocating across state lines.

The bill, called the Show-Me Sports Investment Act, would help finance construction or renovation of athletic and entertainment facilities in Missouri using taxpayer funds. Supporters, including the governor, argue the move is about more than just sports.

“This isn’t just about football and baseball,” Kehoe said during a press conference on May 27. “This is about economic development.”

Kehoe claims the bill offers a competitive financing option to retain major league teams and their associated jobs and tax revenue.

“We believe this financing tool, the Show Me State Sports Investment Act, is a competitive offer, but also a good deal for Missouri taxpayers,” he said.

But not everyone agrees.

Critics say the proposal prioritizes stadiums over pressing state needs. Dee Dee, a citizen journalist from Southeast Missouri, pointed to the state’s recent natural disasters as examples of where funding should go instead.

“We’ve had lots of tornadoes and floods and just different disasters,” she said. “To me, that’s where our dollars need to go and help fund social determinants of health and other areas, throughout the state.”

Patrick Tuohey, senior fellow with the non-partisan Show-Me Institute, said that while the bill also includes a tax credit for disaster victims, it doesn’t make up for the long-term trade-offs. He argues the money is better spent on public services like education and safety.

“Unfortunately, Missouri just doesn’t have the leftover money to part with,” Tuohey said. “This is going to blow a $50 million hole in the budget every year for 30 years and that affects people all over the state.”

According to Tuohey, extensive research shows the cost to tax payers outweighs any local benefits.

“One of the common arguments we hear in favor of sports team subsidies around the country is that they have a positive economic impact on the local economy, or even the state economy, and if we lose these teams, we lose that economic impact,” he said. “But research and scores of studies going back decades demonstrate that’s not true.”

Tuohey recently testified against the bill in front of the Missouri Senate and is scheduled to speak in front of the Missouri House this week.

The legislation continues to advance as state leaders weigh the cost of keeping Missouri teams on Missouri soil — against the long-term needs of the people who live here.