Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Members of the Committee,

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. I am Joe Reardon, President and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. I appear before you in strong support of the Show Me Sports Investment Act, and on behalf of a business and civic community that understands both the urgency and the stakes of the decisions before you.

Our organizations, the KC Chamber, Civic Council, KCADC, KC Sports Commission and Visit KC issued a joint statement on April 14 emphasizing our collective belief that these two franchises are an integral part of our regional economy and identity and urging active efforts like this one to retain the teams in the region.

And let me emphasize: This is not just about sports. This is about jobs. It’s about economic development. And it’s about regional identity and competitiveness within a dynamic national and global environment.

The Greater Kansas City Chamber represents hundreds of businesses – large and small – that benefit directly and indirectly from the presence of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals. These teams are not only woven into the cultural fabric of our region, but they are also major economic drivers. They are a calling card for business attraction and raise the stature of Kansas City and the state of Missouri. In so doing, they create real opportunities for our growth and economic vitality.

Consider just a few facts:

• The Chiefs support nearly 6,000 jobs, generate $993 million in economic impact, and contribute more than $28 million annually in tax revenue to the State of Missouri.
• The Royals support 8,400 jobs and account for a billion dollars in economic activity.
• The teams support our regional nonprofit agencies with millions of dollars of funding, helping to sustain them.
• Together, these two franchises – and the ecosystem around them – sustain thousands of jobs across hospitality, retail, transportation, and more.

These numbers represent families, small businesses, hotel workers, restaurant owners, and suppliers. If these teams leave our region, those jobs and that revenue go with them – not in theory, but in fact.

We are at a critical moment. These decisions cannot wait. While some may think we have time until current stadium leases expire in 2031, in truth, the clock is already ticking. The window to act is now – not later.

From our due diligence, we know that retaining these teams in the region will require a robust and responsible public private partnership.  It is the way that nearly all recent MLB and NFL stadium construction projects have been carried out throughout the country.

The Show Me Sports Investment Act is responsive to that as it offers a sound, measured, and performance-based approach that gives Missouri the tools to remain competitive:

• Teams would receive a one-time tax credit if they invest $500 million of their own money – ensuring this is a true public-private partnership.
• Bonds would be repaid exclusively by tax revenue generated by the teams themselves – not general taxpayer dollars.
• Any revenue above what is needed for repayment continues to benefit the state – just as it does today.
  
  

It is a strategy rooted in accountability, responsibility, and shared success.

Without such efforts, we put ourselves at risk of having another city drawing our teams away from Kansas City.  We know there are active efforts in other cities across the country to attract teams like ours, and while we have owners committed to Kansas City, it will require real public private partnerships to make those commitments a solid reality.

Let me also be clear: we are not here to endorse a specific stadium location. That is a separate discussion. Our focus is on keeping the teams in the Kansas City region and doing it in a way that is fiscally responsible and economically strategic. The teams need viable options to consider, and we believe offering options is one of the distinctive advantages that our region can provide.

The Greater Kansas City Chamber and our other business organizations are involved because we believe efforts like this require active civic leadership. In the past we collectively helped lead the charge for the new KCI airport. We helped bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Kansas City. We helped save Kansas City’s Union Station. And we’re engaged now – as are many others across the region – because this is about retaining our identity, our legacy, and our economic strength.

Let me close by saying this: losing the Chiefs or Royals outside the region would be more than a civic wound. It would be a massive economic loss, with consequences measured in lost jobs, lost revenue, and lost opportunity. Not to mention the devastation to a fandom that thrives farther than we can even imagine beyond the Midwest, across the nation and around the world.

We urge you to act – now – to pass the Show Me Sports Investment Act.  We thank Governor Kehoe and each of you for your leadership, and we thank you for considering this legislation that will keep our region moving forward.

Thank you.