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Voters in Jackson County, Missouri, where the teams are located, encouraged Kansas officials to make a play for the teams by last year that would have helped finance a new, $2 billion ballpark district for the Royals and an $800 million renovation of the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs and Royals have played for more than 50 years in side-by-side stadiums in eastern Kansas City, drawing fans from both states of the split metropolitan area. Their stadium leases run until 2031.

“This is a huge economic development package,” Kehoe told reporters during a news conference livestreamed from the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City. “I’d like to see us make sure we can solidify our offer with legislative approval.”

The GOP-controlled Missouri House approved a Kehoe-backed bill Tuesday that would have allowed the state to issue bonds for up to half the cost of the stadium projects and allow tax credits of up to $50 million. But the Republican-controlled Senate abruptly ended its regular-session work Wednesday after a contentious fight over without taking up the stadium financing measure.

At least a few Kansas and Missouri lawmakers from both parties are skeptical of state incentives. Many economists contend that public funding for stadiums because sports tend to divert discretionary spending away from other forms of entertainment rather than generate new income.