Last year, Allegheny and ten surrounding counties voted on a referendum to raise
our sales tax by 1/2 percent to fund two new stadiums in Pittsburgh. Senate Bill 125, known as the Regional Renaissance (Stadium
Tax) legislation was the vehicle that gave us the the sales tax referendum in November of
1997.
Despite the Regional Renaissance sales tax defeat, Governor Ridge had pledged
to fund up to 1/3 the cost of new stadiums in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Last
year's Regional Renaissance legislation also contained language that would have allowed
the Governor to spend money independent of the state's debt ceiling to fund stadiums, but
the referendum failed.
As the end of the 1998 Legislative Session was drawing near, the Senate had
passed Senate Bill 672, which would allow the State's debt
ceiling to be raised to fund new stadiums in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The Senate passage, was awaiting a vote in the State House, but the
House finally recessed at 1:15 a.m. without ever voting on the bill.
While the focus was on the debate and deal making for the stadium funding,
other legislation was pushed through the House. One such bill was known as House Bill 907, designed to repeal obsolete sections of the County
Code law, including parts of the Regional Rennaissance tax. The one page bill
contained only the "Section Numbers" of the code which were to be removed from
the County Code. Absent, was the actual language which prevented a Legislative review from
the House floor.
This became the back-door effort to fund stadiums in Pittsburgh. By removing most of the
old Renaissance law, the remaining language allowed "the Governor to spend money
independent of the state's debt ceiling to fund stadiums" which revives the
Governor's position to fund stadiums in Pittsburgh without a debt ceiling constraint.
I believe that this vote was unanimous and the Legislature was unaware of the
consequence.
For more information on Stadiums, visit our web page titled, The Politics of Sports.
The page contains the Auditorium Authority Stadium Deals, the RAD District law suit, the
$31.5 dollar unpaid loan, a Stadium of "historic" proportions and a link to the
"Field of Schemes".
Regards,
Gary J. English
