Missouri proposes truce with Kansas in business battle

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers want to give Kansas a second shot at a truce in a long-running battle over businesses in the Kansas City area.

The Missouri Senate passed legislation Thursday that would re-open a two-year window for the states to agree to quit offering tax incentives for Kansas City area businesses to move across the state line.

Missouri passed a similar measure in 2014, but Kansas never agreed, and the truce offer expired in 2016. The new legislation would give Kansas a second chance to reciprocate before the offer again expires on Aug. 28, 2021.

The bill now goes to the Missouri House.

The Kansas City Star previously reported that research by the Hall Family Foundation found Kansas spent $184 million and Missouri $151 million over the last decade enticing Kansas City area businesses to relocate.