Missouri, Kansas governors end economic ‘border war’

Amy Liu, a scholar at the Brookings Institute, praises the Missouri-Kansas economic truce as a historic act that could serve as a model for other areas. Liu was the keynote speaker at a signing ceremony for the truce in Kansas City, Kansas, on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019. Photo by Scott Lauck.

Don Hall, executive director of Hallmark Cards, introduces Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. An influential Hall Family Foundation study determined that the two states have issued $335 million in incentives in the past decade, resulting in a net gain to Kansas of about 1,200 jobs. Photo by Scott Lauck

Kansas Secretary of Commerce David Toland, at podium, and Missouri Director of Economic Development Rob Dixon discuss the their states’ efforts to end the tax incentive “border war” that lured businesses from one side of the Kansas City metro area to the other with little overall gain. Photo by Scott Lauck

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson speaks on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, at a ceremony declaring an end to the Kansas-Missouri “border war.” Photo by Scott Lauck

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson speaks on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, at a ceremony declaring an end to the Kansas-Missouri “border war.” Photo by Scott Lauck

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson sign an agreement on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, declaring an end to the Kansas-Missouri “border war” — the practice of each state using tax incentives to lure businesses from one side of the Kansas City metro area to the other, which wasted money without creating any new jobs in the region. Photo by Scott Lauck

Audience members snap photos as Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson sign an agreement on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, declaring an end to the Kansas-Missouri “border war.” Photo by Scott Lauck

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, praised each other’s willingness to work together to end the economic development “border war” on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019. Photo by Scott Lauck

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed legislation in early June for an economic truce between Missouri and Kansas. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly followed with an executive order with the same goal. Photo by Scott Lauck

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson take questions from reporters following the Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, signing ceremony to end the Kansas-Missouri economic development “border war.” Photo by Scott Lauck

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson listens as Missouri Director of Economic Development Rob Dixon fields a reporter’s question following a Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, signing ceremony to end the Kansas-Missouri economic development “border war.” Photo by Scott Lauck

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly speaks on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, at a ceremony declaring an end to the Kansas-Missouri “border war.” Photo by Scott Lauck

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson speaks on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, at a ceremony declaring an end to the Kansas-Missouri “border war.” Photo by Scott Lauck