Mitch Perry
A Senate bill to repeal a program offering public funding from sales taxes to offset the cost of professional sports facility construction and renovations died in committee Monday.
Although no arguments were uttered against the proposal, SB 236 failed to win approval in the Senate Committee on Commerce and Tourism.
The legislation, sponsored by Brandon Republican Tom Lee, was crafted to repeal the Sports Development Program, which was enacted by the Legislature in 2014 to establish a uniform competitive process through which state lawmakers could award public funding to help build and renovate these facilities.
That bill had modified an existing state program, under which eight pro-sports facilities already received rebates on state sales taxes generated at their facilities, but lawmakers have not granted any applications under the current format.
“The idea was to make this incentives program demonstrate an economic impact or a return of investment for our state,” Lee told the Committee. “Unfortunately, as the bill developed the underwriting process was watered down, and what was left in my opinion was little more than an application requirement to give the Legislature cover for a giveaway program.”
The program offers up to $13 million annually to sports franchises for stadium upgrades, though it was limited to $3 million per years. However, not a dime of that has been allocated to date.
Eight different professional sports franchises in Florida are currently receiving monthly payments of up to $166,667 over 30 years. Lee noted those appropriations occurred outside of the Sports Development Program.
The only senator to comment on the bill was Travis Hutson. The Palm Coast Republican asked if the proposal would limit the Legislature in any future years to set up a deal for a sports complex. Lee said it did not.
Then, without further debate, the committee voted to reject the proposal. Among those opposed was Clearwater Republican Jack Latvala.
