CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — The Oakland Athletics’ search for a new home has drawn Nevada lawmakers into a special legislative session Wednesday to weigh whether the state should cover $380 million of the $1.5 billion stadium planned for the Las Vegas Strip.
Representatives from the Oakland A's and tourism officials, mirroring many of the talking points from a hearing just over a week ago, pitched the project as an economic success in a late afternoon presentation to senators, who have mostly kept quiet about how they will vote.
The bill has revived the national debate over public funding for private sports stadiums. A's representatives and some tourism officials argue the measure could add to Las Vegas’ growing sports scene and act as an economic engine, but economists and some lawmakers have warned that such a project would bring minimal benefits for a hefty public price tag.
The public funding would mainly come from $180 million in transferable tax credits and $120 million in county bonds. Backers have pledged 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 directly raise taxes.
The A’s would not owe property taxes for the publicly owned stadium. Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, would also contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.
The proposed 30,000-seat stadium would be the smallest in Major League Baseball.
The Legislature adjourned Monday after its 120-day, biennial session with disputes over one of the five major budget bills that funds capital improvement projects. On Tuesday, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo held a special legislative session to pass that bill.
Lombardo’s office had introduced the stadium financing bill with less than two weeks left in the regular session. It is unclear how many days the second special session will last, though a Wednesday vote is unlikely.
Meanwhile, representatives from Oakland are not giving up on keeping the A’s in their backyard.
Special sessions are fairly common in Nevada’s Legislature, which lasts for four months every other year. There have been seven since 2013 for a variety of reasons — pandemic protocols,statewide redistricting, budget disputes and approval for $750 million in public funding to help build Allegiant Stadium when the Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas.
California Democratic U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred asking MLB not to “subsidize or otherwise encourage the relocation” of the A’s, saying neither the team or the league have negotiated “in good faith” with the city of Oakland.
“The A’s are not only planning a move away from Oakland, @MLB is incentivizing them to,” Lee said in a tweet. “Today, I asked them to stay out of the way.”
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao agreed in a subsequent tweet, reiterating her support to keep the club in Oakland.
The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team previously sought to build a stadium in Fremont, California, as well as San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront — all ideas that never materialized.
Manfred has said that a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York. ___
Stern is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service that places journalists in newsrooms. Follow Stern on Twitter: @gabestern326.
