DC United Stadium Bill Hits Snag In Maryland State Legislature
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Amendment On Bill For DC United Stadium
Would Violate Maryland Constitution |
The Maryland House Appropriations Committee (MHAC) yesterday voted to send a DC United stadium proposal to the state legislature for consideration, but the Maryland House of Delegates subsequently discovered an amendment on the bill that "would violate the Maryland constitution," according to Rosalind Helderman of the WASHINGTON POST. The MHAC yesterday afternoon "adopted a series of amendments in quick succession," all designed "to ensure that the state would not be committed to funding anything beyond" a feasibility study of a possible MLS stadium in Prince George's County. However, one of the amendments stipulated that "after the Maryland Stadium Authority performed the study, it would have to report to the chairs of the legislative money committees to get approval to move on to the next phase." That qualifies as a "memorandum of understanding" between DC United, the state, the county and the Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission, and MHAC Chair Norman Conway said that he learned this "would give the legislature an unconstitutional veto over the work of the executive agency." Conway said that the committee now will "have to take up the matter again" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/30).
DELAY OF GAME: WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL's Mara Lee reported the stadium proposal yesterday "did not progress through the votes it needed to guarantee that the Senate will consider it before the end of the session on April 13." DC United VP/Communications Doug Hicks said that those with "questions about the deal wanted specifics on location and costs that were not possible without the more detailed study called for in the revised bill" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/30). In DC, Tim Lemke noted since the MHAC voted 17 to 7 to pass the bill, it did not receive the unanimous support required to guarantee that the Senate "will take up the bill." This "does not necessarily kill the bill, but now it is up to the Senate to take up the issue," and as a result the "process may have to start over, in a sense" (WASHINGTONTIMES.com, 3/30).
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