Latest news with #SenateBill197
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bengals' odds of receiving funding from Ohio for Paycor Stadium renovations has increased
The Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton County have been locked in negotiations on their lease involving Paycor Stadium. One of the more recent points in their negotiations has been the hopeful inclusion of funding from the state of Ohio after they initially proposed funding $600 million for the Cleveland Browns' brand-new stadium via bonds that would be paid back. That has since been called into question as it adds a ton of debt onto the state and the estimates for the Browns and Brook Park estimates were 'overly optimistic.' One thing that is for certain is there will be an added way of Ohio getting more tax money from legal gambling. It is just a matter of what it looks like. Dan Monk from WCPO recently wrote this on a promising new proposal, one that could actually mean that the Bengals are in better position to potentially get funding over the Browns: [Bill] Blessing introduced Senate Bill 199 on May 14 to propose a 2% fee on Ohio's sports betting handle, which is the total dollar value of all bets accepted by state-licensed sportsbooks. Ohio's handle was $8.9 billion last year, which means the fee could raise about $180 million per year, if approved. Blessing's proposal came one day after Sen. Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville, proposed the legalization of iGaming in Ohio in Senate Bill 197. It would allow online betting for casino games, including slot machines, poker and Blackjack, along with state lottery games and horse racing. Supporters claim it will raise up to $800 million in new taxes annually, money that could fund a reduction in state income tax or stadium projects. 'Just in talking with other members, there's a lot of skepticism over [Cleveland's financing plan],' Blessing said. 'They don't like the fact that it's bankrolled by state general revenue funds. I think that's probably one of the reasons why there's a mad dash to do iGaming as a potential alternative.' This could give us a better reason why the Bengals were so taken aback by Hamilton County hiring someone included in the Browns Stadium funding process. If they knew that support was waning for the Browns funding then hiring someone included in a possibly competitive process for funding could be problematic. In fact, the lawyer Hamilton County fired, Tom Gableman, actually had a hand in developing this proposal with Blessings. Essentially, the proposal deals out up to $200 million a year created by this two percent 'privilege fee' on each gambling transaction. The way that $200 is divided up would depend on several factors that favored the Bengals and Hamilton County after an agreement would be set up for a 10 to 20-year lease agreement. 'The way we structured it, there were ten factors to allocate funding,' Gabelman told Monk. 'The age of the stadium, capacity of the stadium, the public use of it, how many years are left in the term, or the new term. The amount of capital repairs put in by the local entity, by the team, and so on. Under those metrics, Paycor gets funded first.' This is still a proposal and is far from being set in stone, but it is a far easier pill for taxpayers to swallow than outright paying for the Browns to make a stadium from scratch outside of Cleveland and footing the entire bill upfront. This would still allow funding to go to the Browns, but it'd be much more of a supplemental payment than the original proposal. That ultimately fits the needs of the Bengals and Hamilton County much better. This all still depends on the two sides coming to an agreement before their deadline, which is less than a month away. Hamilton County's changing negotiators certainly put that process in more doubt than it appears they needed to. Hopefully, it still gets done, and the Bengals stay by the river for generations to come. More from NFL Week 14 injury report: 8 starters miss Bengals' Thursday practice Marvin Lewis a candidate to be Browns GM? Marvin Lewis reveals John Ross had been hiding a shoulder injury NFL Week 14 Bengals vs Bears: Behind enemy lines with Windy City Gridiron Bengals film room: Mistakes and injuries cause defense to fall apart vs Steelers Fantasy Football: Who to start and sit in NFL Week 14 Bengals Bytes (12/8): Getting over the Pittsburgh hangover
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Examining the Ohio Senate bill that would legalize and tax internet gambling
CLEVELAND (WJW) — Legislators in the Ohio Senate are considering the conditions of a proposed piece of legislation that would legalize and tax internet gambling. In a nutshell, it would allow users to gamble on table games like blackjack or poker, or on digital slots, which could create a large pot of taxable revenue. Senate Bill 197 was introduced by Nathan Manning of District 13, a large portion of our viewing area west of Cleveland. Kent State to close LGBTQ+, women's, multicultural centers It would create two new forms of gambling: iGaming and iLottery — functions possible through the internet or smartphone applications. This could create large revenue for casinos or other online gaming websites and, in turn, tax revenue that would go back into the general fund or other designations still being considered. The bill currently sits in Senate committee, where opinions are mixed. 'With iGaming, you can sit on your back patio and lose all your money,' Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman said. 'And for addicts, that's a problem.' 'I think a lot of times Ohioans want to have a little bit more choice as to how they spend their money and spend their recreational time,' Ohio Senate President Rob McColley said. 'Not everyone is affected by addiction, and for some people it is recreational,' Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio said. 'But I think we all always need to have an awareness.' In fiscal year 2024, gross casino tax revenues were more than $330 million across the state. That money goes to various funds benefiting counties, schools, host cities and more. Lawmakers are also split on dedicating tax revenue to gambling addiction services. Recovery resources in Cuyahoga County said there's already a growing need. 'In Cuyahoga County alone, we have enough people to fill Browns Stadium and have people standing outside who are middle risk or have a disorder for problem gambling,' said Nora Larson, supervisor of prevention for recovery resources. Some taxpayers may receive tax refunds in June: When payments could arrive Larson said that estimate was calculated before sports betting was legalized. She said having table games or slots at your fingertips could be problematic. 'So some people, similar to alcohol, can have one drink and be okay,' Larson said. 'Some people can gamble with friends and be okay. Some people can't. Some people need to keep going.' Governor Mike DeWine's office said the governor has no stance on the proposed legislation. Both JACK Casino and MGM Northfield Park declined to comment for this story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Final day of the 2025 legislative session
The 2025 legislative session is coming to an end, and the Indiana Capital Chronicle team will be chronicling its last day here. (Getty Images) The 2025 legislative session is coming to an end (hopefully within the next 24 hours!), and the Indiana Capital Chronicle team will be bringing you everything from the final day here. 39 mins ago 39 mins ago As the legislative session enters its final hours, tweaks and overhauls alike are coming rapid-fire. Indiana's retired public employees are likely to nab pension bonuses intended to boost benefits that don't otherwise keep up with inflation — but with a 5% cut — under a final draft for House Bill 1221. That's after a finance-focused Senate committee cut the 13th check and 1% cost-of-living-adjustment entirely. House lawmakers, however, sought years of bonuses. Elsewhere, several contentious provisions were dropped from less-controversial underlying legislation. But some authors are hoping to re-home them. It appears a ban on sleeping or sheltering on public property has been removed from Senate Bill 197, prompting rumors it would be inserted into legislation dealing with juvenile justice. But the final version of that bill is still outstanding. Another prohibition, this one on government-supported 'obscene performances,' wasn't in a conference committee report filed on Senate Bill 326. But that report was quickly withdrawn and is still in flux. Asked where the language might go, Rep. Andrew Ireland, R-Indianapolis, told the Capital Chronicle, 'I don't know any better than anyone else.' And detailed language cracking down on illicit massage parlors was cut from the negotiated draft of House Bill 1416, which would require human trafficking awareness posters in gas stations and rest stops. Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, repeatedly called it too 'prescriptive.' Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, authored the language after law enforcement raided parlors in his district. He told the Capital Chronicle that he aims to find a new place for a recast version that offers local governments greater decision-making powers. Last updated: 9:05 AM
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Evansville Rescue Mission CEO says bill would criminalize homelessness
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — Evansville Rescue Mission CEO Tracy Gorman is speaking out against Indiana Senate Bill 197. Officials with the organization say this would criminalize homelessness. 'While your Evansville Rescue Mission is an apolitical organization, we will not hesitate to speak out when an issue is of extreme importance to the individuals we serve. After all, they're why we're here! Currently, there is a major issue that is potentially facing homeless people in Indiana, and I ask our colleagues and friends to contact your Senate Representatives immediately and urge them to vote against the amendment that was added to Senate Bill 197. This legislation is unwise, unnecessary and unwarranted, especially in its current form. More discussion and conversations are needed regarding this issue, and hurrying through an ill-advised amendment like this is not the answer. Time is of the essence, so please encourage your state legislators to either drop the amendment, or vote against the bill! Homeless individuals already have enough to worry about. They sure don't need this!' CEO of Evansville Rescue Mission Tracy Gorman Senate Bill 197 makes it a Class C misdemeanor for a person to use public property of the state or a political subdivision for purposes of sleeping or camping, subject to certain exceptions and conditions. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signs New Mexico flood recovery, ambulance purchasing bills into law
A truck carried away in the aftermath of historic flooding in Roswell New Mexico. More than 300 people required rescues in the deadly October flooding. (Courtesy of Zachary Lujan) Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed two bills into law that will give local governments more ways to access money to aid in disaster recovery and emergency response. One will allow the use of property tax bonds to fix infrastructure damaged by floodwaters, and the other will change a funding mechanism to help cities and towns purchase ambulances. Lujan Grisham signed them both Friday. 'These bills provide critical tools for our municipalities to recover from devastating floods and strengthen our emergency medical services across the state,' the Democratic governor Lujan Grisham said in a written statement Monday. The first law, Senate Bill 383, expands the use of revenue bonds to include 'rebuilding, repairing, replacing, and hardening of municipal property damaged by a flood,' and allows local governments including cities and counties to implement a 0.327% gross tax to help pay for the bonds. Previously, the law only allowed municipalities to enact the tax on property sales or services bought within the area. Sen. Candy Spence Ezzell (R-Roswell) the sponsor of SB 383, said she was 'beyond thrilled,' about the signing when reached by phone on Monday. The new law will allow Roswell to raise funds to apply for federal dollars after devastating floods ripped through the community in October, killing two people. 'It will help Roswell get matching funds where they can apply for the FEMA money to help with getting everything back,' Ezzell said. 'The bill also gives other towns and counties the opportunity to do the same thing in case they are faced with some other natural disaster as well.' In order to enact the tax, local governments will have to adopt bonds and send them to the voters for approval. SB383 contains an emergency clause, which enacts the bill into law immediately. Senate Bill 197 allows municipalities to purchase ambulances using bonds and allows the state to move money from the Emergency Medical Services Fund to the Department of Finance and Administration to pledge in repaying the loans, similar to the process to buy fire trucks. Ambulances are often too expensive for small local governments to purchase outright, said New Mexico Municipal League, which lobbies on behalf of cities, in an analysis of the bill. A single ambulance often costs over $200,000. SB197 goes into effect July 1. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
