JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Two Missouri lawmakers and a third taxpaying citizen have filed suit in Cole County, Missouri, challenging the constitutionality of a Senate Bill that gives incentives to the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals to keep them in the Show-Me State.
State Senator Michael Moon, of Senate District 29; State Rep. Bryant Wolfin, of House District 145, and Maries County resident Ron Calzone filed the lawsuit Thursday in Cole County. In it, the plaintiffs argue Senate Bill 3 — which passed following a special session in June — is unconstitutional.
Moon, Wolfin and Calzone argue the bill is unconstitutional because it grants public money to private persons, is a special law, has multiple subjects and an unclear title and changed from its original purpose. Moon and Wolfin both voted no when the legislation was voted on this summer.
“The appropriations described in the bill are a direct gift or bribe to the owners of the Chiefs and the Royals to stay in Missouri,” the lawsuit contends.
The lawsuit takes issue with the more than $1 billion in state subsidies that would be available to the teams over three decades.
Wolfin told KCTV he feels the bill is creating a system where they pick winners and losers.
“We are saying that the Chiefs and Royals and technically the Cardinals are certainly the only ones that can benefit from this whereas the MLS teams, the Battlehawks, the Blues as I said they get nothing so there is some frustration there.”
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With about $33 million per year being provided to the Chiefs under Senate Bill 3 — if the organization elects to renovate Arrowhead Stadium and stay in Missouri — the lawsuit says “it appears that what is really going on is that the Missouri legislature has passed a law which, year by year, the taxpayers are paying about 73% of (Chiefs quarterback Patrick) Mahomes’ salary.”
Editor’s note: NFL teams pay players’ salaries via a percentage of the league’s yearly revenue, allocated evenly across the 32 teams. Patrick Mahomes’ annual salary is paid out via that revenue.
Moon, Wolfin and Calzone filed the lawsuit in Cole County, where Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe lives, which they argue is a proper venue for the lawsuit. The plaintiffs said they are arguing for injunctive relief and “in a ruling for plaintiffs, the court will ‘prevent doing of a legal wrong.’” They are asking the court to declare that passing the bill was unconstitutional and stop it from being enforced.
“The Attorney General is constitutionally obligated to defend the laws enacted by the people of Missouri through their elected representatives,” a spokesperson for Missouri AG Andrew Bailey said. “Our office is currently reviewing the lawsuit.”
The Kansas City Chiefs and Royals have declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The Governor’s Office said it does not comment on pending litigation.
