JEFFERSON CITY — A massive stadium subsidy plan that includes more than $100 million in aid to help St. Louis recover from the May 16 tornado appears poised to be voted on in the Missouri House Wednesday.
Although parts of the package are causing heartburn among some House members, Republican leaders believe they have the votes to deliver Gov. Mike Kehoe a victory in his bid to keep Kansas City’s professional sports teams from building new stadiums in Kansas.
The stadium push came as St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer trekked to the Capitol Tuesday to make a plea to the House Budget Committee to approve funding to help rebuild parts of the city that have been reduced to rubble.
“What happened in St. Louis on May 16 is almost impossible to put into words. This tornado was on the ground for 23 miles. It was at times a mile wide,” Spencer told the panel. “It was an eight-mile path of destruction in the city.”
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She pledged to be fully accountable for how the state money is spent and said the city also is spending $30 million in Rams settlement money as part of the recovery.
“We know that the state’s success is tied to our success,” Spencer said.
Federal Emergency Management Agency officials will be in the city Wednesday, and Spencer hopes a timeline for how aid will be prioritized and distributed will become clearer.
The overall plan was narrowly endorsed by the Senate last week as part of a special session called by the governor in response to a push by Kansas to lure the teams across the border.
The stadium plan is being sold as an economic development exercise aimed at keeping jobs in the state.
“There could be hundreds if not thousands of jobs lost,” said Sen. Kurtis Gregory, a Marshall Republican who is sponsoring the stadium plan.
There also was some opposition.
Patrick Tuohey of the right-leaning Show-Me Institute think tank said stadium subsidies are a rip-off. He told lawmakers the tax dollars given up by the state will not be fully recouped.
“We see new spending, but it isn’t additional spending,” Tuohey said. “This body is being played by the Chiefs and the Royals.”
Kehoe called lawmakers back to the Capitol two weeks after they adjourned their regular session after failing in his bid to secure a stadium subsidy plan to compete against an offer from Kansas.
The Royals plan to build a new stadium and surrounding entertainment district totaling $1 billion to $2 billion in the coming years. The Chiefs are considering $1.15 billion in upgrades to Arrowhead stadium.
Both teams want taxpayer help. Kansas has proposed paying for 70% of those costs at a location west of the city and set a June 30 deadline for the teams to decide.
Some lawmakers said the team owners should have showed up in the Capitol to personally lobby for the proposal.
“I’m disappointed the owners aren’t here,” said Rep. John Martin, R-Columbia.
Under the agreement, Missouri would back about 50% of those same stadium costs, making 30 years of bond payments equal to the annual state tax revenue generated by the teams. Local governments also would have to provide some aid for the teams. The St. Louis Cardinals also would be eligible for aid, although Busch Stadium was not the focus of the effort.
The state assistance would cost taxpayers an estimated $1.5 billion over 30 years. The teams have not committed to stay in the state.
To get to that deal, Kehoe had to appease Democrats and members of his own party who loathed the idea of sending tax dollars to the teams.
‘Need is tremendous’
In addition to adding $100 million in relief dollars for St. Louis, there also are provisions to help offset insurance and property tax liabilities of people affected by the storm. Another $25 million will go to other areas of the state facing tornado cleanup costs.
It is unclear if the amount of tornado aid spent by the state will change now that President Donald Trump has approved $71 million in federal aid to help the city recover.
“The need is tremendous,” said Casey Millburg, Spencer’s policy director, pointing to a sudden lack of housing within the damaged areas during one of Tuesday’s House hearings.
Millburg said city, state and federal officials are working to determine how to temporarily house tornado victims who have lost their homes and apartments. That could include tiny homes and building conversion projects.
Spencer told the panel about the number of people in the storm zone living in tents on their property.
“It’s truly, truly devastating,” the mayor said.
Rep. Phil Amato, R-Arnold, told members of the House Economic Development Committee that he toured north St. Louis and found it looking like a war zone in the aftermath of the EF3 twister.
“Those houses look like they had exploded. It looked like Berlin in 1945,” Amato said.
The recovery money hasn’t been specifically earmarked for any certain project in the city in order to keep the spending flexible. It could go for a range of needs, including debris removal, mental health services, food banks or child care assistance.
“All of those sorts of things are going to be needed in those affected areas,” said Kehoe budget chief Dan Haug. “There certainly will be oversight on how this money will be spent.”
Other projects
Also in the mix is about $360 million in brick-and-mortar projects that were left on the wayside during the Legislature’s regular session.
The University of Missouri will receive $50 million in state aid for a research nuclear reactor after Kehoe had previously called for $25 million.
A top sticking point is a property tax freeze provision inserted into the legislation last week by a conservative bloc of Republican senators. House members said that could hurt local governments and schools by cutting off yearly funding increases.
Rep. George Hruza, R-Des Peres, said the plan seems problematic for school districts that straddle county lines.
“To me, that’s a real concern,” Hruza said.
Under the proposal, 22 counties could have their property taxes frozen at the current rate and 75 would be limited to only a 5% maximum increase every two years. The freeze or limitations would need to be voted on by the county’s residents.
Property taxes could still be increased through a voter-approved levy or if the value of property increases due to renovations or new construction.
St. Louis city and St. Louis County are not included in the property tax portion of the package.
The legislation is Senate Bills 1, 3 and 4.
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Here's a look at the news two weeks after an EF-3 tornado hit areas of St. Louis on May 16, 2025. Video by Allie Schallert, Post-Dispatch
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