border war Archives - Missourinet

Kansas City business leaders hopeful about end to “border war” between Missouri and Kansas

June 28, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce president is praising Missouri Governor Mike Parson (R) for signing legislation into law that’s aimed at ending the economic “border war” between Missouri and Kansas.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson signs SB 182 into law on June 11, 2019 at Kansas City’s Union Station (photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s office)

Joe Reardon hopes it will lead to additional regional cooperation.

“And an end to the destructive back and forth of luring of companies from one side of the state line to the other, with no creation of net new jobs,” Reardon says.

The bill impacts companies moving between three Kansas counties and Missouri’s Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties. The Missouri law will only take effect if the Sunflower State passes a reciprocal agreement.

Reardon, who spoke at Governor Parson’s bill-signing ceremony at Union Station this month, says resolving the border war has been a top priority for the Chamber and for business leaders in the region.

“We believe our true competition is not between us or across the line that’s not far from outside this door (Union Station), but it’s with other regions like Dallas, Denver, Nashville,” says Reardon.

The Hall Family Foundation says more than 10,000 jobs moved between Missouri and Kansas during the past decade, with an incentive cost of $330 million.

The jobs all moved in the Kansas City region.

Mr. Reardon notes cooperation has happened before, noting that voters on both sides of the state line backed a 1996 tax increase to restore Union Station, which was crumbling at the time. Reardon says fast forward to 2015 at Union Station, after the Kansas City Royals won the World Series.

“This became the gathering spot for almost 800,000 Kansas Citians from all over, both sides of the state line,” Reardon says.

The renovated Union Station includes an Amtrak depot, a permanent rail exhibit known as the KC Rail Experience, a planetarium and a science city.

Governor Parson says Missouri and Kansas have both spent “well over $100 million” in the border war, telling reporters after the bill-signing that “there’s no reason we can’t be using that money for a lot better purposes than just jumping from one side of the state (line) to the other.”

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (D) has issued a statement echoing Governor Parson’s comments about the irresponsible spending by both states, “with little actual job growth for either state.”

Governor Parson says Missouri and Kansas have both spent more than $100 million on border war

June 13, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Legislation aimed at ending the economic “border war” between Missouri and Kansas has been signed into law this week by Governor Mike Parson (R) in Kansas City.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson signs SB 182 into law on June 11, 2019 at Kansas City’s Union Station (photo courtesy of Governor Parson’s office)

The Bolivar Republican notes the legislation, which is Senate bill 182, will only take effect if the Sunflower State passes a reciprocal agreement.

“I’m very positive, very optimistic right now that we’re going to come to some sort of an agreement between Missouri and Kansas on this,” Parson says.

Governor Parson signed the bill this week at Kansas City’s historic Union Station, telling reporters he has a good working relationship with Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (D) and that additional meetings will take place. He says he’s met with Kelly and has also spoken to her on the phone.

Parson tells reporters that incentivizing companies to move a few miles does not result in new jobs for Missouri or Kansas.

“We’re spending a lot of taxpayer money to do initiatives for businesses on the border of Kansas and Missouri and sometimes we’re not getting very much gain for that,” says Parson.

The legislation, which is sponsored by State Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lee’s Summit, impacts companies moving between Johnson, Miami and Wyandotte counties in eastern Kansas and Missouri’s Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties.

The Kansas City-based Hall Family Foundation says more than 10,000 jobs moved between Missouri and Kansas during the past decade, with an incentive cost of $330 million. The jobs all moved in the Kansas City region.

“I think Missouri has spent well over $100 million on this, Kansas has spent well over $100 million,” Parson says. “There’s no reason we can’t be using that money for a lot better purposes than just jumping from one side of the state (line) to the other.”

Governor Parson tells reporters he’s optimistic he’ll reach an agreement with Kansas Governor Laura Kelly on this.

As for Governor Kelly, she’s issued a statement echoing Governor Parson’s comments about the irresponsible spending by both states, “with little actual job growth for either state.”

Kelly also emphasizes that the two states must work together to attract business and jobs.

“We’re encouraged by the renewed spirit of cooperation and collaboration between the two states. The recent joint proposal to attract United States Department of Agriculture operations to the Kansas City metro area is a prime example of progress on that front,” Kelly’s statement reads, in part.

This issue has been debated for years in the Missouri Legislature, with former House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, and former State Rep. Kevin McManus, D-Kansas City, leading an unsuccessful effort in 2014.

Three bills, one proposal to end jobs ‘border war’ with Kansas to be heard today

February 5, 2014 By Mike Lear

Three bills will be heard in two legislative committees today that aim to end the so-called “border war” between Missouri and Kansas over jobs.

All three bills would bar the issuance of certain business incentive programs to businesses that move from specific counties along the Kansas-Missouri Border on the Kansas side, to those along the border on the Missouri side. Supporters say it would end the practice of one state “poaching” companies and jobs from one side of the state line to the other. All three would be contingent on Kansas agreeing to block the offering of state incentives that would lure businesses from Missouri across the state line.

The legislation was pre-filed in December in the Senate by Senator Ryan Silvey (R-Kansas City) (SB 635). Bills mirroring it were then introduced in the House by Representative Kevin McManus (D-Kansas City) (HB 1515) and later by House Speaker Tim Jones (R-Eureka) (HB 1646).

Governor Jay Nixon in November called for he and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback to put a temporary moratorium on incentives in the Kansas City region, followed by legislative action to make them permanent.

McManus’ and Jones’ bills will be heard in House Hearing Room 7 at noon. Silvey’s legislation will be heard in the Senate Lounge at 1:00.

Nixon offers ‘border war’ solution, Republicans react

November 13, 2013 By Mike Lear

Governor Jay Nixon has outlined his plan to end the shuffling of jobs across the Missouri-Kansas Border in pursuit of incentives meant for the creation of new jobs.

Governor Jay Nixon

Step one is for he and his counterpart, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, to put moratoriums on incentives in the Kansas City region. Then he wants both legislature to make those permanent.

A moratorium on discretionary programs could include Community Development Block Grants, the BUILD program, training funds, and the majority of programs under Missouri Works.

Nixon tells Missourinet, “Ultimately we’re going to need the legislature to step up with us to make sure that we’re using the economic development dollars as efficiently and effectively as possible, getting a little more discretion in some of these deals where they are looked at for jobs created in the region, not just jobs moved from one side of the state line to the other.”

He also proposes encouraging local officials in the region to end the use of local tax dollars in “similarly inefficient and counterproductive ways.” Finally, he says, the two states should work together to leverage combined resources to promote the Kansas City region.

Republicans reacted to the Governor’s speech by calling it a “side show,” and accusing him of seeking a power grab.

Senator Ryan Silvey (R-Kansas City) says he and other local leaders were “shocked” at the speech and questioned the Governor’s claim that he’s been working on issue for more than a year.

Senator Ryan Silvey (photo courtesy, Missouri Senate Communications)

“This is something that we’ve been working on for months locally in Kansas City with business leaders and legislators and this is the first we’ve heard from the Governor, and what he’s come out with is not something that really any of us are that supportive of.”

Silvey says the Governor’s plan would give him unilateral discretion over economic incentive programs in the region and inject politics into them, two things he thinks the legislature won’t support.

“What the Governor is saying is that he needs discretion,” Silvey says, “so that he can say, ‘Oh, well, this is in the region of the border and therefore even though you may have met the requirements for the incentive, I’m going to say no, you can’t have it.'”

Kansas’ Secretary of Commerce, Pat George, confirmed to the Kansas City Star that discussions have been underway for more than a year, but expressed surprise that Nixon made the speech alone rather than taking part in a joint announcement.

Governor Brownback issued a statement saying, “It’s good to hear that Governor Nixon is joining this discussion.”

Asked how close Nixon thinks an agreement is, he says his senior staff has been in discussions and he has met with Governor Brownback.

“I think we’re making solid progress.”