Nevada gov. signs bill to build stadium for Oakland Raiders in Las Vegas

Monday, October 17, 2016

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signed Senate Bill 1 and Assembly Bill 1 into law on Monday at the Richard Tam Alumni Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The move clears another hurdle in possibly moving the Oakland Raider to Las Vegas.

The bill, which required a simple majority vote to pass, was approved in the Assembly on a 35-7 vote and in the Senate on a 21-0 vote.

Senate Bill 1, passed Friday after a week-long special session, calls for an increase in Clark County's hotel room tax to help finance a $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat domed stadium, clearing a path for the relocation of the Raiders to Vegas.

In addition to a $750 million public investment, terms of the stadium deal call for contributions of $650 million from the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon Adelson and $500 million from the Raiders.

The bill also includes a separate hotel room tax increase to help fund $1.4 billion in improvements to the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Raiders owner Mark Davis has pledged to move the team to Las Vegas, provided three-fourths of NFL team owners (24 of 32) approve, but has said he would wait teo years before doing so.

Raiders officials have said that if the stadium deal passed, they would present a plan at next week's NFL owners meeting in Houston. A vote on relocation could come at a January owners meeting, also in Houston.

Meanwhile, members of Save Oakland Sports say they are upset with owner Al Davis for turning his back on the city.

Oakland City Councilman Noel Gallo confirms that representatives from the DeBartolo Group met with Oakland city officials Thursday and Friday to discuss developing land at the Oakland Coliseum and maybe even developing a new stadium.

Eddie DeBartolo is the former owner of the San Francisco 49ers. Gallo says the news is extremely positive, he just wishes it had come earlier.

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