Governance Rules

Community Owned Sports Teams - Examples

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:55:55 -0500

Examples and history from a handful of community owned sports teams including information on Appleton, WI, Timber Rattlers, Green Bay Packers, Harrisburg Senators, Memphis Redbirds, Rochester, NY, Red Barons, Syracuse, NY, Sky Chiefs and the Toledo Mud Hens.

Pennsylvania - State Enabling Legislation for Community Owned Sports

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:46:57 -0500

The Carn-Robinson Pennsylvania Sports Facility Authority Act (H.B. 298) would create a state entity to deal with the issue of stadium and arena construction. The authority would generate revenue through the sale of bonds, and receiving a portion and concessions, parking, television, luxury box, ticket and non-athletic event revenues. Powers granted to the authority, include regulation of ticket prices and the right of first refusal if a franchise is put up for sale.

New York - State Enabling Legislation for Community Owned Sports

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:42:26 -0500

In 1998, Assembly Bill 684 - the New York State Sports Fan Protection Act - was introduced by Assemblypersons Richard Brodsky and Richard Gottfried as a means to acquire the Yankees if owner George Steinbrenner followed through on his threats to move the club to New Jersey. The bill would establish a State Sports Authority, which could condemn a franchise through the legal practice of eminent domain and sell shares of it to the public if either a) the cost of a stadium to the public exceeded the value of the franchise, or b) the franchise takes action to move from the state.

Minnesota - State Enabling Legislation for Community Owned Sports

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:24:00 -0500

Numerous bills involving community ownership were introduced during the Minnesota Twins stadium debate of 1997 and early 1998. Most, however, were tainted with the inclusion of a publicly funded ballpark. Representative Phyllis Kahn's House Bill 3348 separated this controversial issue from the community ownership concept, which received broad public support. In 2002, Kahn re-introduced a similar bill H.F No. 2587 which was debated, amended and passed out of the House Governmental Operations and Veterans Affairs Policy. The bill stalled after Governor Ventura's administration put forward a plan to help the Minnesota Twins get a new outdoor stadium with the help of the state's bonding authority.

Fairness in Antitrust in National Sports (FANS) Act

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:53:10 -0500

In response to Major League Baseball's plan to eliminate the Minnesota Twins from the league, Senator Paul Wellstone introduced legislation in November 2001 to amend the Clayton Act to make the antitrust laws applicable to the elimination or relocation of major league baseball franchises. Current law provides baseball an exemption from antitrust rules and regulations.

Give Fans A Chance Act

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 13:52:36 -0500

Initially introduced in 1997 and re-introduced in 2001 by Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer, The Give the Fans a Chance Act would forbid leagues from prohibiting community ownership. If a professional sports league ignores this provision, it will lose its sports broadcast antitrust exemption.

Campaign Finance Reform - Buckley v. Valeo

admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:11:06 -0600

The US Supreme Court's 1976 decision in Buckley v. Valeo constitutes a central obstacle to effective campaign finace reform. The ruling does this in two ways: First, equating money with speech, the decision prohibited governments from imposing spending limits on candidates.

Campaign Finance Reform - Nixon v. Shrink

admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:07:56 -0600

Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC is the first Supreme Court ruling on contribution limits since since 1976, when in the landmark decision Buckley vs. Valeo , 424 U.S. 1 it said free-speech rights trump any attempt to limit a candidate's spending.

Campaign Finance Reform - Local Rules

admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:06:57 -0600

Over 80 local governments have passed some form of campaign finance legislation. The National Civic League has compiled an Inventory of Local Reforms of those it knows about. Over half of those reforms have been enacted since 1990 and it is likely that there are more reforms out there yet to be discovered.

Campaign Finance Reform - Oregon

admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:05:07 -0600

Oregon's 1994 Ballot Measure 6 amended the state constitution to allow candidates to "use or direct only contributions which originate from individuals who at the time of their donation were residents of the electoral district of the public office sought by the candidate." (Oregon Constitution Art. II, § 22) It imposed a 10 percent cap on the total amount of money a candidate could accept from contributors residing outside the district.

Campaign Finance Reform - Alaska Limit on Out-of-State Contributions

admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:03:36 -0600

In 1996 the Alaska Legislature adopted a campaign finance reform law that banned contributions from business and unions and capped campaign contributions at $500 per individual. The new law also put a cap on the contributions that a candidate for governor, lieutenant governor or state legislator could receive from individuals not living in Alaska.

Campaign Finance Reform - Colorado Contribution Limits

admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:59:26 -0600

In 2002, Colorado voters approved Amendment 27 by a 2-to-1 margin to enact comprehensive campaign finance reform for state-level political campaigns. A coalition of groups, including the League of Women Voters of Colorado, Colorado Common Cause, Reclaim Democracy, and Voter Revolt helped develop and supported the grassroots reform measure under the campaign slogan "Get Big Money Out of Politics".