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The move comes at a critical moment in a showdown over which state gets an 18,500-seat pro soccer stadium and Cerner office complex that could involve 4,500 new jobs. Kerr was a key player in piecing together Kansas' $229.5 million incentive offer.
That he is switching states just as Cerner is making its decision infuriated some top Kansas lawmakers.
"This is the most unethical thing I have ever heard of," said state Rep. Ray Merrick, a Stilwell Republican and House majority leader.
State Rep. Kevin Yoder, an Overland Park Republican, called it the equivalent of switching teams in the middle of the World Series.
"We thought (Kerr's) Number 1 goal was to bring jobs to Kansas, but find out now he was working to take his own job to Missouri," Yoder said.
Nixon, a Democrat, sought to ease tensions Thursday in a visit to Metropolitan Community College-Longview, saying Kerr would not be working on any of the deals he was working on while in Kansas.
Kerr said he's still Kansas' commerce secretary for another week and his start date in Missouri is Nov. 9.
He pointed out that Gov. Mark Parkinson said Wednesday that the state had made its final offer on the Kansas development, which would be in western Wyandotte County.
"So I'm not too sure there's a whole lot left to do from my perspective on that," Kerr said, adding that it would be "inappropriate" for him to remain involved in the Cerner deal.
But that hardly satisfied Kansans, who had criticized Kerr for what they called "foot dragging" in developing an aggressive counteroffer.
"I think we now know the answer," Yoder said. "Switching teams at this stage of the game would even make Shoeless Joe Jackson blush."
House Republican leaders called on Parkinson to make the Cerner negotiations a personal priority and close the deal.
GOP leaders also called for a release of all information regarding the project to ensure that every available option was explored to attract the development to Kansas and that Kerr had no conflict of interest.
Joe Monaco, a spokesman for the Kansas Commerce Department, said Kerr's move was motivated largely by family. He has a son and grandson in St. Louis.
To reach Steve Kraske, call 816-234-4312 or send e-mail to skraske@kcstar.com. To reach David Klepper, call 785-354-1388 or send e-mail to dklepper@kcstar.com.
To see more of The Kansas City Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.kansascity.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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