Paul Allen said he was "prepared to drop his bid" for
the Seahawks after a WA State Senate committee yesterday
defeated a tax package that Allen and WA Gov. Gary Locke had
offered to build a new $402M stadium for the team, according
to Zimmerman & Penhale of the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER.
Members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee were "visibly
squirming" as the committee clerk called the roll.
Zimmerman & Penhale: "Several stalled, and then changed
their votes when it became clear the measure, which calls
for a statewide vote, would fail." Allen, in a statement:
"Since it takes 60 days to provide the required notice for
an election, if acceptable legislation is not enacted by
April 3 for a June 3 election, I will drop my option to
purchase the team." Allen and Locke agreed yesterday to
drop a proposal to raise King County's tax on rental cars by
2.5%, "which many lawmakers opposed since the tax was raised
to" 17.5% in '95 to help pay for a new Mariners' ballpark.
They also agreed to a provision "to cap the public's share
of the stadium" at $325M, slightly above the initial
proposed cap of $302M (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 3/11).
