TOPEKA — It’s up to Gov. Laura Kelly to signal whether the Kansas Legislature made the right call on a bill giving municipalities the opportunity to allow liquor stores, restaurants and bars to remain open 23 hours a day, seven days a week during the World Cup soccer tournament in June and July.
The bill approved 86-39 by the House and 23-17 in the Senate also opened the door to homeowners interested in renting their properties from May to July — without obstacles imposed by cities or counties — to some of the 650,000 soccer fans expected to descend on the Kansas City area to witness a slice of the 48-team international tournament. Four national teams that qualified for the tournament selected the KC area for operational headquarters.
On Thursday, the Legislature sent an overhauled House Bill 2481 to Kelly’s desk. She could sign or veto the bill. Or, it could become state law without her signature after 10 days. If she rejects the bill, the Senate and House would likely have a chance in early April to vote on motions to override the Democratic governor’s veto.
During the soccer tournament, teams representing Argentina, Algeria, England and the Netherlands plan to be based in Kansas or Missouri in the Kansas City metropolitan region. The World Cup scheduled six matches at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Rep. Sean Tarwater, a Stilwell Republican who chairs the House Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee, said there were good reasons to support the bill. He looked at the legislation as a chance to emulate the story of David and Goliath.
“Almost 100% of the bills that I bring before you are for the big companies,” he said. “This is the one opportunity we have to support the little guy. This bill is for the Davids of the world.”
Tarwater said O’Neill’s Restaurant and Bar in Leawood was positioned less than two miles from the hotel where England’s team would stay during the FIFA 2026 World Cup. The state representative said the food and atmosphere in the sports-oriented restaurant owned by Brian Schorgl was delightful. The hotel used by the team from England was also located less than two miles from the dining scene in historic, walkable Brookside, Missouri, he said.
“I want the people spending their money in Kansas. If we don’t make this change, we will lose a lot of business and a lot of sales tax,” Tarwater said.
Vote of conscienceWhile the home rental piece of the bill prompted an objection in the House, several lawmakers in both chambers opposed expansion of business hours for the sale of alcoholic beverages. The bill means liquor stores could be open 23 hours per day instead of current 14 hours per day and the bars or restaurants could sell beverages 23 hours per day instead of the current 20 hours per day.
GOP Sen. Doug Shane, of Louisburg, argued against temporary liberalization of Kansas liquor laws to accommodate World Cup soccer fans. He said the adjustment could lead to more late-night traffic accidents involving drunken motorists. He reminded senators the original vote on the World Cup bill was 21-19, and final action on the bill offered lawmakers a second chance to strike it down.
“I suspect there were senators that voted against their conscience in favor of that bill,” he said. “We’re close to avoiding a very bad decision for the state of Kansas.”
Under the bill forwarded to the governor, all licensed bars, restaurants and liquor stores in Kansas could operate during the World Cup from 6 a.m. to 5 a.m. if their local municipal governments opted into the temporary arrangement. The law enacted in Missouri was comparable in terms of liquor sales, but Missouri required municipalities to opt out of the statute.
Access to alcoholic beverages would be broadened in Kansas from June 11 to July 19 to correspond with practices and matches in the Kansas City area.
The bill also would require municipal governments to process applications for short-term rental units within 15 days or those applications would be deemed approved. Cities and counties couldn’t impose additional regulations on applicants seeking to rent housing for World Cup fans from May 15 to July 25.
Rep. Allen Reavis, R-Atchison, said he introduced the housing rental bill in the House in an attempt to reform application of transient guest taxes for residential spaces marketed on Airbnb, VRBO and other platforms. He said he wanted to change state law so the tax covered all rental residences regardless of the number of rooms rented. Current law imposed a guest tax on accommodations of two or more bedrooms furnished for guests, he said.
The bill passed by the Legislature didn’t include a provision addressing the one-bedroom residences in part, because legislators characterized that as a tax increase. The bill also was weighed down by the 23-hour alcohol package, Reavis said.
“Now we have a party bill,” Reavis said. “I think we’re going to have some headlines we don’t like. When we have bad headlines later this summer, I do not want them to go back and say, ‘Well, that was Reavis’ bill.’ It’s on everybody now.”
This story previously appeared in the Kansas Reflector.
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