Kansas House committee to ‘explore’ Kansas City Chiefs term sheet this week
ECONOMIST SAYS THE DEAL RAISES BIG RED FLAGS. THERE ARE ALSO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ROYALS AND THE TEAM’S FUTURE HOME. STILL NO WORD FROM THE ROYALS ON WHETHER THE TEAM WILL BUILD A NEW BALLPARK. BUT WE KNOW THE STATE OF KANSAS HAS PULLED OUT OF THAT. THAT POSSIBLE STAR BONDS OFFER TO THE TEAM. AND AS FOR THE CHIEFS, KMBC9 INVESTIGATES WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE STADIUM DEAL WITH THE STATE OF KANSAS, BUT WE FOUND SOME RECORDS ARE RESTRICTED. WE ALSO FOUND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO KNOW ALL THE DETAILS FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER MATT FLEENER EXPLAINS. WE’VE HEARD A LOT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS ABOUT THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS COMING TO KANSAS AND OUT HERE NEAR THE SPEEDWAY IN THE LEGENDS AREA. BUT WHETHER OR NOT WE GET TO LEARN ABOUT SOME BEHIND THE SCENES CONVERSATIONS THAT MAY TAKE A WHILE. WE DON’T KNOW YET WHICH PIECE OF VACANT LAND THE CHIEFS MAY PLAY ON IN THE FUTURE, BUT TO FIND OUT WHERE, WHEN AND WHAT’S HAPPENED THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO BRING THE CHIEFS TO WYANDOTTE COUNTY. THAT INFORMATION IS RESTRICTED RIGHT NOW UNDER KANSAS OPEN RECORDS LAWS. KMBC REQUESTED EMAILS BETWEEN THE CHIEFS AND UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, BUT THE COUNTY DENIED THAT REQUEST. THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, CITING A 2024 STATE LAW, SAYING ANY ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTATION ABOUT A STADIUM CAN BE WITHHELD UNTIL JULY OF 2029. THREE YEARS AWAY. WHY IS TRANSPARENCY SO IMPORTANT WITH SUCH A LARGE DEAL? WELL, BECAUSE IT HAS TAXPAYER MONEY INVOLVED. ECONOMIST MICHAEL AUSTIN WORKS IN KANSAS. HE REVIEWED KMBC RECORDS REQUEST AND HAS CONCERNS THE UG MAY NOT BE SHARING ALL THE DETAILS THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHIEFS. I’M NOT SAYING THAT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE AVAILABLE AT THE SNAP OF A FINGER. I’M SAYING THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS, HOLDING EMAILS WITHIN FROM THE UG AND THE CHIEFS UP TO THREE YEARS AFTER IT WAS ALREADY DECIDED THAT THEY’RE COMING HERE. I FIND THAT HONESTLY UNREASONABLE. STATE LAW SAYS ONCE THE ACTUAL DEAL IS SIGNED, IT CAN BECOME PUBLIC. BUT ANY BEHIND THE SCENES DISCUSSIONS THAT COULD INCLUDE LAND DEALS OR FINANCING COULD BE WITHHELD FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS UNTIL 2029. KMBC WILL KEEP WORKING TO GET ANSWERS. MATT FLENER KMBC9 NEWS. WE EMAILED ALL THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE MAYOR. WE HAVE N
Kansas House committee to ‘explore’ Kansas City Chiefs term sheet this week
Updated: 3:38 PM CST Jan 20, 2026
A Kansas House committee is set to “explore” the term sheet involving the Kansas City Chiefs this week.The House Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development will take up the Chiefs term sheet during a joint meeting with the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday.The agenda does not list details about what will be discussed.The full wording of the agenda item is, “Explore Kansas City Chiefs term sheet.”The Chiefs announced Dec. 22, 2025, that they had agreed to a deal with the state of Kansas to move across state lines.The proposed stadium would be built in 2031. The Chiefs’ lease in Jackson County ends after the 2030 season.
TOPEKA, Kan. —
A Kansas House committee is set to “explore” the term sheet involving the Kansas City Chiefs this week.
The House Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development will take up the Chiefs term sheet during a joint meeting with the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday.
The agenda does not list details about what will be discussed.
The full wording of the agenda item is, “Explore Kansas City Chiefs term sheet.”
The Chiefs announced Dec. 22, 2025, that they had agreed to a deal with the state of Kansas to move across state lines.
The proposed stadium would be built in 2031. The Chiefs’ lease in Jackson County ends after the 2030 season.