Gov. Mike Kehoe (R-MO) called for a special Missouri legislative session last week to work on funding for facilities for the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals, before the teams begin to look across state lines.

Kehoe plans to bring state lawmakers back to Jefferson City after they failed to pass a plan during their regular, annual session to fund a new stadium or renovations for Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs and a new ballpark for the Royals.

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

The Republican-controlled Missouri House of Representatives passed a bill to allow the state to issue bonds to cover the cost of up to half of the stadium projects and allow tax credits up to $50 million, but the GOP-controlled state Senate abruptly ended its regular session work Wednesday after a fight over an anti-abortion measure. The state Senate did not take up the stadium financing measure before ending.

Meanwhile, a law in Kansas approved last year authorized state bonds for 70% of the cost of a new stadium, which would fund it for over 30 years with revenues from sports betting, Kansas Lottery ticket sales, and new sales and alcohol taxes.

For more than 50 years, both teams have played side-by-side in fields in eastern Kansas City, Missouri, attracting fans from both sides of the Kansas City metropolitan area, which spans the state line. Their stadium leases run through 2031.

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“The Chiefs and Royals packages — and this has been very public — about remodeling on the Arrowhead Stadium and a potential new baseball stadium are somewhere between $2.5 and $3 billion,” Kehoe said. “I would consider that significant economic development.”

The governor did not say when the special legislative session would begin.