The bill funding Oakland Athletics’ potential stadium in Las Vegas passed the Nevada Senate on Tuesday, removing a major obstacle to the move.
However, before the bill passed, lawmakers amended the measure to bolster its benefits to the community. The 13-8 Senate vote marks another milestone as the bill moves through the state Legislature while reigniting the national debate over public funding of private sports clubs. The bill, which has the support of Governor Joe Lombardo, must now be considered by the State Assembly.
Representatives from A and some Nevada tourism officials said the measure could add to Las Vegas’ growing sports scene and act as an economic driver. But a growing chorus of economists and some lawmakers have warned that such a project would bring minimal benefits compared to the high public price.
The Senate approval came after days of closed-door negotiations and a contentious hearing on the bill, which calls for $380 million in public funding for the proposed $1.5 billion stadium.
The endorsement also came the same day an estimated 27,759 Bay Area A fans staged a massive reverse boycott by buying tickets to the Oakland Coliseum to demand that embattled owner John Fisher sell the team rather than move to Las Vegas. .
Proposal to fund potential new Oakland Athletics stadium passed State Senate
Fans staged a reverse boycott outside of the Oakland A’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays
Fans came armed to the teeth with signs calling for the team to be sold and kept in Oakland
Fans like Brian Guido and Scott Finney of Sacramento each took off early from work on Tuesday because there was no way they would miss the festivities just hours away in Oakland.
“I have only been to one game this year. I saw this game and I knew I had to come because I knew it was going to be very monumental and I would send a message to the owner that it is what the fan base wants,” Finney said. “They want ownership to sell the team so they can stay in Oakland.”
Thousands of frustrated and heartbroken A fans arrived early for tailgating and solidarity at the Oakland Coliseum ahead of a Rays-A game to both celebrate their team and protest a planned move to Las Vegas.
They called it a reverse boycott aimed at getting as many people as possible to the ballpark, with bright green “SELL” t-shirts made by local company Oaklandish going to the first 7,000 to claim the fan-planned freebie .
A “We are here!” the poster provided specific instructions for each round, such as chants of “Sell the team!” Sell the team! for Tampa Bay’s first batter in the top of the inning and “Stay in Oakland!” followed by five applause for the first batter in the bottom half.
Right field batsmen also made a rare comeback.
John Fisher has been pushing for his A’s to move since taking over the team in 16
The A’s announced hours before the first pitch that they would donate all ticket proceeds from the game to charity, the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Oakland Public Education Fund – a total of 811 $107.
Mother and son Leslie and Justin Lopez walked together in their SELL t-shirts reflecting the importance of the A’s in their lives – Justin, 27, has been coming to games since he was 8 months old. He is devastated every year watching the All-Stars go to bigger markets in free agency where all the other stars get traded.
“It was so sad to witness. We feel like historically disenfranchised people,” Justin Lopez said as he hugged his mother.
Toddler Pepito Mendez, 3, from Pittsburg had fun through the action throw a poof (with a feces emoji) in the boards covered with facial images of Fisher and team president Dave Kaval.
Father Paco plans to cancel his subscriptions for 2024.
“We don’t think we’ll re-sign next year because of this,” he said. “I hope he sells locally. I wish I had the money for that. It doesn’t look good to us.
Rays manager Kevin Cash appreciated the passion of the Oakland fans.
A fans are good fans. We played here, I think it was 19, in the wild card game and it was one of the best atmospheres I’ve ever seen in an opposing stadium,” he said, “ so if it’s like that, it should be loud and it should be fun.
There was even a sign-painting station in the southeast parking lot, where Hunter Martini, 13, future eighth grader de Rohnert Park paints ‘STAY AND SELL.’
Fans could be seen en masse as they directed their anger at team owner John Fischer
The $380 million in public funding for the stadium would come primarily from $180 million in transferable tax credits and $120 million in county bonds.
The backers promised that the creation of a special tax district around the proposed stadium would generate enough money to pay off those bonds and interest. The plan would not raise taxes directly unless the county cannot repay its bonds, as is the case with other general obligation bonds.
The A’s would not be liable for property taxes for the public stadium. Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, would also contribute $25 million in credit for infrastructure costs.
The proposed 30,000-seat stadium would be the smallest in Major League Baseball.
