Political Action Committee Initiates Referendum Petition to Repeal Las Vegas Baseball Stadium Funding Bill

NEVADA – The Schools Over Stadium Political Action Committee (PAC) has formally submitted a referendum petition aimed at repealing a bill that authorized public funding for a new baseball stadium in Las Vegas. The PAC announced its move on Wednesday, targeting SB 1, which became law earlier this year following its passage during a special session of the Nevada Legislature.

Alexander Marks, spokesperson for Schools Over Stadiums, expressed confidence in their mission, stating, “We’re confident that a majority of Nevadans will join us in taking action to put Nevada’s priorities back in line so we can address an education system that ranks 48th in funding with the largest class sizes and highest vacancies in the country.”

A notice of intent regarding the petition has been posted on the Nevada Secretary of State’s website. The primary objective of the petition is to eliminate all provisions related to bonds and credits for the stadium from SB 1.

This move by the Schools Over Stadium PAC follows the creation of the PAC in June by the Nevada State Education Association, in response to the passage of the bill.

During a special session earlier this year, Governor Joe Lombardo and state lawmakers approved a funding package that allocated up to $380 million in public funding for a new $1.5 billion baseball stadium, slated for construction at the current location of the Tropicana casino resort. SB 1 specified that the state of Nevada would contribute $180 million in transferable tax credits, with Clark County expected to provide $120 million in bonds. The legislation also outlined the establishment of an entertainment district surrounding the stadium, where tax revenue generated by businesses within the district would be directed toward paying down the county’s bonds and interest, without directly raising taxes.

In the next phase, organizers will need to collect signatures from registered Nevada voters to ensure that the initiative appears as a question on the upcoming general election ballot in the following year.

The threshold for statewide petitions in the 2022 election mandates more than 140,000 valid signatures, including a minimum of 35,195 signatures from each of Nevada’s four congressional districts.

Credits: Fox Reno