Senator Mike Bernskoetter

6th Senatorial District

For Immediate Release: 

June 6, 2025

Capitol Building, Room 416

Jefferson City, MO 65101

Contact Kenny Ross: 

 573-751-2076

Extra Session

This week the governor has called the General Assembly back in for an extra session. In addition to re-examining aspects of a budget bill that contains tens of millions of capital investment projects across the state and providing some financial assistance for those who have been impacted by recent severe weather, the governor called the extra session with the intention of creating a way for the state to help fund the construction of a new stadium for the Kansas City Royals as well as improvements for the Kansas City Chiefs stadium. 

The basic framework would see the state tap into the expected tax revenue from events at the stadium to fund the new construction and improvements to their stadiums. The governor also included in the call money to set up a tax credit program to help people affected by the tornado that hit St. Louis last month. This tornado was devastating and the impact was severe, we are still waiting to see the final price tag, but it is clear that the city will need our help.

Finally, the governor called for spending for some budget projects that did not manage to make it all the way through the legislative process this past session. The main project included would be money spent on the nuclear reactor at the Mizzou campus in Columbia. This is a project of national importance because the reactor is used to produce cancer medicines that are used on patients across America. The more enhancements we make to that reactor, the more medicine we produce to save people’s lives.

Returning to the sports bill, the governor does not want to see these two teams leave the state of Missouri. This is because of the cultural and economic impact they have on the greater Kansas City area. These two teams attract thousands of visitors each year. In addition, the stadiums are used for concerts and various other large events. These teams leaving Missouri would be devastating to the economy of Jackson County and the surrounding area. 

I have often said that Missourians must think of our state as a united group. When the major urban areas are doing well, outstate Missouri does well. Just like when rural Missouri succeeds, St. Louis and Kansas City feel the benefits. It is why it was so important for the General Assembly to take action on improving public safety and fighting crime in St. Louis this session. It is also why this effort to support Kansas City is important for Missouri as a whole.

In the next couple of weeks, the General Assembly will be taking action on the governor’s proposal, and I look forward to reporting back on the action we decide to take on them.

Please feel free to contact my office at 573-751-2076. For information about my committee assignments or sponsored legislation, please visit my official Missouri Senate website at senate.mo.gov/Bernskoetter.