A Florida legislator is pursuing laws that would significantly curtail public assistance for franchise stadium developments in the state.
House Bill 13, introduced by Rep. Bryan Avila (R), would ban the building or renovation of stadiums on public lands, while House Bill 6005 would nix a program that set aside state funds for stadium projects.
In HB 6005, Avila is proposing legislation that would do away with a program sponsored by Sen. Jack Latvala (R) and signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. The program offers $13 million a year for stadium projects. A number of facilities, including EverBank Field in Jacksonville and Daytona International Speedway, have been approved to receive assistance from the fund, but legislators in the House have blocked disbursement of the money.
Chris Hudson, director of Americans for Prosperity in Florida, questioned the program in a statement. “Why should taxpayers foot the bill for billionaire sports owners who want to expand their facilities?” Hudson said.
According to News4Jax.com, HB 13 was filed for the 2018 legislative session, which is scheduled to begin in January.
