By Steve Bell
Kansas City, MO – The roof costs come on top of a proposed sales tax for renovations and repairs at Truman Sports Complex. A 25-year use tax for the roof would raise $225 million, the Jackson County Legislature was told today. In addition to $575 million in renovations, the proposed 25-year leases with the Chiefs and Royals would require the city, county and state to pay a total of $212 million for maintenance. The teams will pay a total of $100 million and cover cost overruns.
State Senator Phil Journey has introduced a bill that would allow concealed handguns in Kansas. Journey says the bill is nearly identical to one vetoed last year by Governor Sebelius. Kansas is now one of only four states without some form of concealed carry law on its books.
Kansas unemployment hit a four-year low in December, according to the labor department. The jobless rate was 4.3 %, down from 5.1 percent the previous month and 4.7 percent in December of 2004 - and the lowest since December of 2001.
Missouri stands to lose 1500 jobs in the St. Louis area. The Wall Street Journal reports that Ford will close its Hazelwood plant sometime in the next four years. The article blames a decline in the popularity of pickup trucks and large SUVs.
The head of the Kansas Livestock Association today called for a full investigation of the incident that caused Japan to ban U.S. beef again. A New York plant shipped veal with bone fragments, which were forbidden by the agreement that reopened the Japanese market after the mad cow disease scare.