The Nevada Senate has approved a $380 million bill to fund a new stadium for the Athletics in Las Vegas. This marks the first step towards the expected move of the franchise from Oakland. The bill had faced resistance from lawmakers who questioned the wisdom of using public tax dollars to support a team owned by billionaire John Fisher. However, two amendments to the bill added on Tuesday morning prompted a 13-8 vote in favor of the project.
The Path Ahead
While there are multiple steps remaining to finalize the A’s move, the passage of Senate Bill 1 paves the way for it to happen. If the 42-person Nevada Assembly approves it by a majority vote and Governor Joe Lombardo signs the bill into law, MLB owners plan to authorize the A’s to relocate, ending the team’s half-century-plus-long tenure in Oakland.
A’s Fans’ Response
The passage of the Senate bill came on the same day A’s fans planned a “reverse boycott”. Fans showed up to the Oakland Coliseum wearing shirts that read “SELL”, encouraging Fisher to unload the team rather than move it. A’s fans have been disappointed with the team this season after a Fisher-forced fire sale led to a depleted roster and the worst record in baseball at 18-50.
Instead of a potential expansion team, Las Vegas would inherit the A’s, who have proposed a 30,000-seat stadium – the smallest in MLB – on a nine-acre plot at the site of the Tropicana Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The original bill did not include specifics on the stadium site, which changed after the A’s announced in April they had a “binding agreement” for a larger parcel of land.
The A’s have sought to end more than 20 years of uncertainty by making their intention to move to Las Vegas public. Failed moves to San Jose and Fremont, California, had left them pursuing a new stadium in Oakland for the past decade. While there was momentum on a waterfront project at Howard Terminal site, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao stated that “we are very close to a deal” if Fisher were to sell the team. However, Fisher instead continued to pursue the $1.5 billion stadium in Las Vegas.
The original bill met resistance from officials, but senators met with A’s officials and received improvements, including the use of a suite at the stadium for community groups, an annual $1.5 million donation to the community, and resources towards helping homelessness in Las Vegas. Additionally, two other measures that had been vetoed by Lombardo were tied into the bill: providing 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for certain businesses and forcing monorail projects to comply with the state’s wage laws.
The Nevada Senate has approved a bill that would provide $380 million to fund a new stadium for the Athletics in Las Vegas, paving the way for the team’s expected move from Oakland. While there are still steps to be taken, the passage of Senate Bill 1 is a significant step towards the relocation. The A’s have proposed a 30,000-seat stadium on the Las Vegas Strip, and while the move has faced resistance, amendments were made to the bill to address concerns. If the bill is approved by the Nevada Assembly and signed into law by Governor Lombardo, MLB owners plan to authorize the A’s to relocate, ending the team’s tenure in Oakland.
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