Columbus, Ohio (Wcmh) – After the legislators were approved by Ohio A Plan to determine 600 million US dollars for a novel Cleveland Browns stadiumA recently introduced invoice would exclude you from acceptance of free tickets to professional sporting events.
After the Bill 409 house, which on August 7th of Reps. Sean Brennan (D-PARMA) and Karen Brownlee (D-Symes township) were introduced, the legislators were only able to accept free or reduced tickets for professional sports games if the tickets are part of a promotion that is also available to the public.
According to Brownlee, legislators who received free tickets could controversial Provision in the state budget, which assign millions from the state pool of unused funds – Money that many inhabitants do not know that they have from sources such as inactive bank accounts and non -closed checks to assist the Cleveland Browns pay for a novel stadium. See the previous reporting of NBC4 in the video player above.
“When it comes to the way our system is financed, I mean our political system and how it overlaps with the way in which chosen civil servants finance certain special interests and organizations should really be no overlap,” said Brownlee. “It’s just not fair to our voters.”
Legislators in Ohio must report gifts worth more than 75 US dollars to the joint legislative ethics committee of more than $ 75, a supervisory board of the non -partisan legislator. You also have to disclose free access to events if the entry costs exceed 25 US dollars.
According to public submissions, several legislators have accepted free tickets for professional sporting events in recent years. Rep. Adam Bird (R-New Richmond) and Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) each accepted a free ticket worth $ 100 per piece to see FC Cincinnati against New England in March, as recordings show.
Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland) received a free ticket for a suite at the April home opening of Cleveland Guardians worth $ 556. Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake) also received the tickets for Guardians Suite in 2023 and 2024, both worth more than $ 500.
Public submissions have not received free tickets in Cleveland Browns on Cleveland Browns since at least 2020. However, the Haslam family who owns the Browns has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the legislators of the state – especially Republicans – in recent years. The plan to finance the stadium contained in the household provided most of its support from the Republicans of Statehouse.
“There is a real concern, especially with our current budget how much or little role ethics plays in the decision -making of legislators,” said Brownlee. “After seeing what has passed this year, I am extremely concerned about the overlapping of special interests in our decision -making, and the voters should also be.”
Legislation does not apply to university sports. The invoice defines professional sporting events as those in which teams of NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS and NBA are involved. This means that the legislator could not accept free tickets for games for Columbus Blue Jackets, Cincinnati Reds or Cleveland Browns as well as other professional teams.
Brownlee said that she believes that a ban on accepting tickets for college games in the bill could “the waters” muddy “, since the state is already expected to finance educational institutions.
“Historically and constitutionally, the state has to finance public educational institutions,” she said. “We are not obliged to finance professional athletics.”
If the legislation were passed, the joint legislative committee for legislative ethics complaints could punish the legislators who break up the rule of up to $ 1,000.
HB 409 currently has three democratic cosponsors, including Reps. Juanita Brent (Cleveland), Chris Glassburn (North Olmsted) and Lauren McNally (Youngstown). The draft law is waiting for a committee committee and its first hearing.
