ST. LOUIS — The Freedom Principle MO has announced its support for a lawsuit filed by Sen. Mike Moon (R-District 29) and Rep. Bryant Wolfin (R-District 145) challenging the constitutionality of Missouri’s recently passed Stadium Funding Bill.
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
The Stadium Funding Bill is Senate Bill 3 (SB 3).
The conservative grassroots organization, led by President Byron Keelin, is calling the legislation a “billionaire bailout bill” and a blatant misuse of taxpayer funds.
“We are pleased to see Senator Moon and Representative Wolfin stand up for taxpayers,” Keelin said. “This was a contrived bill and is a blatant misuse of taxpayer funds. Everything about this billionaire bailout bill was a violation of the Missouri Constitution.”
SB 3 was passed during a special legislative session after Gov. Mike Kehoe failed in an attempt to pass the funding package during the last three days of the regular session.
The lawsuit, filed by Moon and Wolfin, claims the bill authorizing state support for professional sports stadiums is unconstitutional because it provides public aid to private interests and violates Article III, Section 23 of the Missouri Constitution, which addresses the single-subject rule for legislation.
Keelin criticized the governor’s approach.
“Governor Kehoe is trying to sell a lemon and cram this billionaire bailout bill down Missourians’ throats and sugar-coating it by dangling a property tax freeze for select counties,” Keelin said.
He added that the Freedom Principle MO is urging the courts to act quickly to protect taxpayers.
According to the Freedom Principle, the property tax portion of SB 3 also violates Article X, Section 3 of the state constitution, which governs uniform taxation.
The organization also argues that the stadium funding portion of the bill violates several constitutional provisions, including Article III, Section 38(a), which prohibits the General Assembly from giving or lending state credit or public funds to private entities, and Article III, Section 39(5), which bars direct grants of public money or property to private persons, associations or corporations except in limited circumstances tied to constitutional provisions or overwhelming public interest.
“We are sorry to tell the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs that building or remodeling stadiums does not constitute an overwhelming public interest,” Keelin said.
He pointed to 2024 revenues for the NFL, which exceeded $24 billion, and for MLB, which topped $12 billion, as evidence that these professional sports organizations have the financial capacity to fund their own facilities without taxpayer assistance.
The Freedom Principle says its support for Moon and Wolfin’s lawsuit is aimed at sending a strong message to Missouri’s legislative leadership to halt the passage of similar bills in the future. The organization emphasizes that legislation should comply with the single-subject provision and be fiscally sound.
