The Heartlander has learned the Missouri governor told Republican lawmakers he believes the Kansas City Royals will announce their move to Kansas next week unless the Legislature passes his amendment to help build and renovate Royals and Kansas City Chiefs stadiums, respectively, on the Missouri side by Friday.

Kehoe’s last-minute stadium financing bid to keep the Royals and Chiefs in Missouri zipped through the state House without hearings Tuesday, but ran right into a bipartisan filibuster in the Senate that evening.

Besides the fact the plan was added as an amendment to an unrelated bill on student athletes just days before the legislative session’s end on Friday, senators were miffed that the House had earlier rejected voting on a comprehensive spending bill covering more urgent and conventional needs around the state.

Kehoe’s plan would provide as much as half the funding for a new Royals stadium and renovations to the Chiefs’ GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Missouri governor’s bid is a counter to Kansas’ offer signed by Gov. Laura Kelly last June to help finance new stadiums across the state line through that state’s Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bonds – which the Independent called a “bill to poach Kansas City Chiefs, Royals from Missouri.”

Kansas’ offer expires June 30, adding more urgency to Kehoe’s efforts – and perhaps making it more likely his fears of a Royals move will come true absent passage of his incentive package.

A legislative source told The Heartlander Wednesday that Kehoe shared with GOP lawmakers he believes the Royals will announce a move to Kansas next week if his package doesn’t pass the Senate.

The Royals have given no indication of an impending announcement.