Funding for Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield not included in approved special session legislation

Last edited 12:30 p.m., June 16, 2025 [Editor's note: A statement from the CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield has been added.]

Slimmed-down legislation signed Saturday by Gov. Mike Kehoe does not include money for Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, which last month warned it may lose millions of dollars in expected state funding.

Amber Alcorn, director of strategic communication for Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, confirmed in an email this morning that funding for the nonprofit was not part of the special session legislation signed into law by Kehoe.

"We are deeply disappointed that our request for state funding was not approved. This funding would have helped us serve hundreds more youth who are waiting for a safe place to belong, grow and thrive," said Brandy Harris, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, in a provided statement. "While this setback is frustrating, it only strengthens our resolve. These kids can’t wait – and they shouldn’t have to. Now, we ask our community to continue showing up."

Last month, officials with Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield said a total of $2.7 million that had been earmarked for the nonprofit was at risk after House Bill 19, a $500 million construction spending bill, was not allowed a vote in the Missouri House of Representatives. That comprised $1.5 million that was expected for its capital campaign for The Risdal Family Teen Center for Great Futures along the Grant Avenue Parkway, along with its share of $8 million in planned funding for Boys & Girls Clubs chapters across Missouri, according to past reporting. April reporting by SBJ indicates the nearly 32,000-square-foot Risdal Family Teen Center, 804 W. Catalpa St., has an estimated $12 million cost and completion date expected in August. 

Kehoe on Saturday signed Senate Bills 1, 3 and 4 after the special legislative session concluded last week, according to a news release from the governor's office.

SB 1, sponsored by Sen. Lincoln Hough, R-Springfield, includes emergency aid for low-income households and points to a variety of capital improvement projects statewide. Kehoe's release indicates the money, which is non-general revenue funding, includes $55 million for new stalling barns at the Missouri State Fair, $48.1 million for a Kansas City mental health hospital and $35 million for National Guard facilities.

The legislation approved by Kehoe this weekend also includes a $1.5 billion stadium funding plan related to plans to keep the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals in Missouri. It also includes disaster relief, according to reporting by the Missouri Independent. 

In the release, Kehoe said legislators delivered "real results for Missourians" during the special session.

"These investments demonstrate that Missouri is committed to taking care of our own, staying competitive and backing initiatives that secure long-term economic stability for our communities," he said in the release.