TALK HIGHLIGHTS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE HERE IN THE METRO. IT’S A BIT OF A FREE FOR ALL WHEN IT COMES TO THE FUTURE OF THE CHIEFS AND THE ROYALS. A MONTH AFTER VOTERS TOLD THE TEAMS TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, YOU HAVE JACKSON COUNTY LEADERS GOING TOE TO TOE WITH THEMSELVES OVER WHO’S TALKING OR NOT TALKING TO WHO, AND WHAT’S NEXT. THE STATE OF MISSOURI, CONSIDERING ITS OPTIONS TO KEEP THE TEAMS IN MISSOURI FOR THE LONG TERM AND EVEN BACKLASH TOWARD LOCAL LEADERS LIKE KANSAS CITY MANAGER BRIAN PLATT, WHO SUGGESTED LAST MONTH THE CITY WOULD TAKE A LEADING ROLE IN NEGOTIATIONS. WE WERE LARGELY ON THE SIDELINES ON THE CITY SIDE FOR A LOT OF THIS, AND WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A MUCH MORE ACTIVE AND PROACTIVE ROLE IN MAKING SURE THAT WHATEVER COMES NEXT, WE ARE A BIG PART OF IT AND THAT WE’RE LISTENING TO ALL THE VOICES THAT NEED TO BE HEARD. AGAIN, THIS IS ALL IN THE PUBLIC FACING SIDE, AND IT BEGS THE QUESTION, WHAT’S GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES TO KEEP THE TEAMS IN TOWN? MICHEAL MAHONEY STICKING AROUND TO DISCUSS THIS, ALONG WITH BRIAN ELLISON, HOST CONTRIBUTOR WITH KCUR, WE SHOULD NOTE WE HAVE ASKED THE CITY MANAGER TO COME ON TO DISCUSS THIS AND OTHER ISSUES. THE CITY HAS CANCELED A COUPLE TIMES, BUT WE PRESSED FORWARD THIS BACK AND FORTH ON THIS STADIUM ISSUE JUST KEEPS GETTING MORE AND MORE HEATED. BRIAN. IT REALLY DOES. AND A LOT OF THAT THERE’S THERE’S HEAT WITHIN THE JACKSON COUNTY LEGISLATURE BETWEEN THE LEGISLATURE AND THE EXECUTIVE, HEAT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY, ALL OF WHICH IS PROBABLY REFLECTIVE OF THE ABSOLUTE DISASTER THAT THE ELECTION REPRESENTED. THE THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF, OF OF THAT PROPOSAL TO GET ANY KIND OF SUPPORT ACROSS THE BOARD AND LOSING BY SUCH A WIDE MARGIN. BUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS THE QUESTION, AND I THINK I THINK THE CITY IS REALLY SERIOUS IN TRYING TO TAKE THE LEAD. WE’LL SEE IF THE COUNTY ALLOWS THAT TO HAPPEN. WELL, AND THERE’S A BIG PROBLEM WITH THAT IN THE FACT THAT THE LEASE THAT THEY’RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH HERE IS WITH JACKSON COUNTY AND NOT WITH KANSAS CITY. CLARK HUNT IS INDICATING THAT AND JOHN SHERMAN THAT THEY WANT TO GO THEIR SEPARATE WAYS ON THIS. SO WE’LL SEE WHERE THAT GOES. AND WHERE ALL THE CHIPS FALL ON THIS. AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT WE HAVEN’T TALKED ABOUT HERE IS THE ROLE OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI, WHICH IS REMAINS A GIANT MYSTERY. AND IT REMAINS A GIANT MYSTERY FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. NUMBER ONE, THEY’VE GOT TO PASS A BUDGET BY MAY THE 10TH. THEY HAD A BIG FILIBUSTER LAST WEEK IN THE SENATE. SO THEY’VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO MAKE UP TO JUST PASS THE BUDGET IN GENERAL. AND THERE’S NOTHING IN THE STATE BUDGET RIGHT NOW FOR SPORTS AUTHORITY MONEY OR SPORTS MONEY. STADIUM MONEY FOR, FOR FOR KANSAS CITY. SO WE’LL SEE WHERE THIS GOES. THE CLOCK IS RUNNING DOWN IN JEFFERSON CITY. UH, THE CLOCKS ARE RUNNING FOR THE CHIEFS AND THE ROYALS HERE. AND THEN OF COURSE, THE THE WHOLE INITIATIVE WITH KANSAS. RIGHT. WE DID ASK GOVERNOR MIKE PARSON WHEN HE CAME TO TOWN WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW THAT KANSAS IS PUTTING THEIR HAT IN THE RING? HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. WHAT WILL YOU DO TO RESPOND TO WHAT THEY’RE DOING OVER THERE? YEAH, I KNOW IT’S A QUESTION OF RESPONDING TO WHAT KANSAS DOES, BUT LOOK, WE’RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP THE ROYALS AND KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AND STATE OF MISSOURI. NOW, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AT THE END OF THE DAY, I DON’T KNOW. BUT LOOK, THEY’RE A LONG TIME PART OF WHO WE ARE IN MISSOURI. AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S LIKE ANY OTHER THING WE’RE GOING TO BE COMPETITIVE. HARD TO BE COMPETITIVE WHEN YOU CAN’T GET BUSINESS DONE IN THE LEGISLATURE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. WELL, EXACTLY. AND MUCH, MUCH AS THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE STADIUM DEAL IN KANSAS CITY FOCUSED ON THE NUMBER OF OTHER PROBLEMS THAT THE CITY HAS TO DEAL WITH IN ADDITION TO THE STADIUM, THE THE MISSOURI HAS PROBLEMS. THERE ARE CONFLICTS AND CONTROVERSIES. AND THEY THEY THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THE BUDGET WILL EVEN GET THROUGH, MUCH LESS ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR SOMETHING LIKE A STADIUM. I ALSO WOULD NOTE THAT AS THE CHIEFS AND ROYALS HAVE SORT OF GONE THEIR SEPARATE WAYS ON THIS EFFORT, GOVERNOR PARSON SPOKE THERE OF WANTING BOTH THE ROYALS AND THE WORK ON BOTH THE ROYALS AND THE CHIEFS OF KEEPING THEM IN MISSOURI. BUT A LOT OF HIS OTHER CONVERSATION WHEN HE SPOKE ABOUT INCENTIVES HAS HAS MENTIONED THE CHIEFS A LITTLE MORE OFTEN THAN THE ROYALS. WELL, SO I THINK THAT WE MAY SEE THAT SEPARATION. UH, END UP HAVING SOME CONSEQUENCES. AND YOU’VE SEEN THAT IN JACKSON COUNTY, TOO, WHERE COUNTY LEGISLATOR MANNY ABARCA HAS SAID, ALL RIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE TEAMS SAY THEY’RE PARTING WAYS ON THIS. LET’S JUST GO ALL IN ON THE CHIEFS AND TRY TO GET THAT ON THE BALLOT. HOWEVER, JACKSON COUNTY EXECUTIVE FRANK WHITE IS SAYING, NOT SO FAST ON THIS BECAUSE WE JUST HAD A VOTE ON THIS IN APRIL. AND BY LAW, YOU CAN’T BRING A MEASURE BACK UP WITH WITHIN 12 MONTHS. UH, THE ABARCA IS SAYING, WELL, THIS IS JUST THE CHIEFS ONLY. SO SO IT’S DIFFERENT AND SO THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT ENDS UP IN COURT. IT IS DIFFERENT. IT’S A DIFFERENT PROPOSAL. AND SO IT’S IT’S NOT ACTUALLY PROHIBITED BY THE LAW TO BRING IT BACK UP. BUT, BUT THE REAL ISSUE IS HOW DOES A DIVIDED LEGISLATURE OR A LEGISLATURE THAT’S ON A DIFFERENT PAGE THAN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE REALLY MOVE FORWARD IN A WAY THAT THE TEAMS THINK THEY CAN TRUST? AND THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE LAST ELECTION IS THAT THE TEAMS DIDN’T REALLY KNOW THE THE, THE STABILITY OF THEIR NEGOTIATING PARTNER IN JACKSON COUNTY. SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN WHERE THE EXECUTIVE OF MANNY ABARCA AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE COME TOGETHER, OR I THINK WE’RE GOING TO SEE MORE AND MORE OF THE SAME. RIGHT. EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT PLAYBOOK RIGHT NOW. NO ONE’S REALLY ACTING IN TANDEM HERE. AND TO TO BRIAN’S POINT ON THAT, WHEN WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE A SINGULAR VISION GOING FORWARD ON THIS, IT’S REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET ANYTHING DONE. IF YOU’VE GOT THE CITY, YOU’VE GOT THE COUNTY, YOU’VE GOT THE TEAMS, YOU’VE GOT THE STATE OF KANSAS, ALL OF THIS IS VERY COMPLICATED. AND DON’T FORGET, THE ROYALS SEEM LOATH TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS, CERTAINLY WITH FRANK WHITE, THE JACKSON COUNTY EXECUTIVE. HE HE HAS SAID OVER AND OVER THAT THEY AREN’T COMMUNICATING WITH HIM. SO WE’LL SEE IF IF THE THE ROYALS ARE ACTUALLY WHEN IT WHEN IT COMES TIME TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PART OF THE AGREEMENT, WHETHER THEY ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE COUNTY AT ALL OR IF THEY HAVE TO RELY REALLY ON THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE