Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo is throwing a wrench in lawmakers’ summer vacation plans after calling for a special session to discuss a $1.5 billion ballpark proposal relocating the Oakland A’s to the Las Vegas strip.
It’s the second special session to be called since the regular meeting period ended on June 5. The session begins on Wednesday and is slated to last for 20 days, although the Republican governor can extend it if legislators need more time to hammer out a deal.
The plan to move the A’s from California’s Bay Area to Nevada — which relies on as much as $380 million in public funding — was stuck in limbo until the lawmakers agreed on a state budget late Tuesday. The passage of Assembly Bill 1 clears a path for the state to now turn to a debate on the merits of the Major League Baseball club’s funding package. The legislature wasn’t comfortable voting on the A’s bill without a budget in place, according to reports from a local Fox affiliate.
The budget proposal passed mostly along party lines, with four Republicans joining the Democrats to push the bill onto Governor Lombardo’s desk to be signed.
Some degree of bipartisan agreement will be needed to pass the stadium-funding package because the state legislature is run by Democrats. The proposition includes $180 million in state-transferable tax credits and the issuance of revenue-backed municipal bonds.
Another expected contribution includes $25 million of tax credits designated for infrastructure improvements. As part of the proposal, Las Vegas will create a Sports and Entertainment Improvement District around the planned 30,000-seat, retractable-roof venue located along the Strip.
Lombardo’s office declined to comment on whether the governor would approve the budget bill or on the status of the A’s funding proposal.
Further upping the stakes, the A’s need to reach an agreement on a new stadium by January 2024 to continue participating in Major League Baseball’s revenue-sharing agreement.
