Missouri Lawsuit Filed to Prevent Taxpayer Financing of Professional Sports Teams
Today Bevis Schock and I filed a lawsuit against the State of Missouri, the Missouri Governor and Attorney General regarding Senate Bill 3, which provides that Missouri will provide illegal subsidies to the KC Chiefs and KC Royals. Our Plaintiffs are State Senator Michael Moon, State Representative Bryant Wolfin and citizen activist Ron Calzone of Maries County. Plaintiffs assert that Missouri taxpayers should not be forced to fund professional sports teams. Here is today's press release, which further describes the claims .The Plaintiffs are asking the court to declare SB 3 unconstitutional and to enjoin its enforcement. Bevis and I have been co-counseling on a variety of cases over the past few years. It is an honor to work with him.
"JULY 31, 2025PRESS RELEASE -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHALLENGE TO CHIEFS AND ROYALS STADIUM SUBSIDIES
Three Plaintiffs have just filed 25AC-CC05910 - Moon v. State, a lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court challenging the constitutionality of Senate Bill 3, the Bill passed in the June Extraordinary Session of the General Assembly which gives around $1.2 billion in subsidies for the Chiefs and Royals. See attached proof of filing and copy of the Petition.
The Plaintiffs are State Senator Michael Moon, Senate Dist 29, (Southwest Missouri) (GOP), State Representative Bryant Wolfin, House Dist. 145 (Ste. Genevieve) (GOP), and citizen activist Ron Calzone, Maries County (Central Missouri). The Defendants are the State of Missouri, Governor Michael Kehoe and Attorney General Andrew Bailey. Counsel for the Plaintiffs are W. Bevis Schock and Erich Vieth, both of St. Louis. This suit is supported financially by the Article 3 Institute, a 501(c)(4), a charitable organization.
As Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed the Bill, among other provisions, (1) provides taxpayer subsidies to the owners of sports teams for building and improving stadiums and even privately owned headquarters, (2) allows holders of elective office to use campaign funds to pay attorneys to defend legal challenges brought against them related to the Bill, (which would otherwise be a forbidden use of campaign funds for a personal purpose), and (3) provides property tax relief, via tax credits, to homeowner disaster victims, and (4) allows some but not all counties to vote on the adoption of the tax credits for property tax relief for all homeowners.
The suit asks the court to declare SB 3 unconstitutional and to enjoin its enforcement. The Bill’s quick trip through the legislature was unconstitutional because it violated the Missouri constitution’s rules requiring bills to have a clear title, a single subject, and a single purpose all the way through the legislative process. The Bill is also unconstitutional because it grants taxpayer money to private for-profit entities (Chiefs and Royal). Such grants are not “primarily public.” The Bill also violates the Missouri Constitution in that it is a “special law.”
The stadium subsidies are a bribe paid to sports team owners to meet their extortion demand to stop them from leaving Missouri for Kansas. The way the numbers work, it appears the legislature and the governor are sticking taxpayers with most of the salary of Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes. See para. 15. (Plaintiffs agree that he is one GREAT football player!).
An entrepreneur in the entertainment industry should pay for his own hall.
The trial court loser will have a direct appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court. "
