SALEM, Ore.-A public hearing on a bill to possibly bring professional baseball to Portland was held by the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee on March 24.
Senate Bill 110, would draw down $800 million in investor capital to Oregon for the expansion of Major League Baseball (MLB) into the Portland market.
“Bringing an MLB franchise to the city does not just benefit Portland, it benefits the whole state culturally and economically,” said Sen. Mark Meek (D-Gladstone).
SB 110 is intended to make Portland competitive with other cities vying for an MLB team, including Nashville, Charlotte and San Antonio in the United States, as well as Montreal and Vancouver in Canada.
If ultimately passed, SB 110 would use $800 million in bond funding to finance an MLB stadium in Portland.
“From the stadium design incorporating Oregon’s cross-laminated timber, to the site further activating Portland’s South Waterfront, to the embrace of strong labor protections for Oregon workers – this project is a grand slam for Oregon,” said Rep. Daniel Nguyen (D-Lake Oswego & SW Portland), who introduced an identical baseball bill in the House of Representatives earlier this month.
The $800 million would not be raised with new taxes for Oregonians, but with an income tax on MLB players and employees over the next 30 years, according to the Portland Diamond Project, the initiative that has long worked to bring professional baseball to the city.
The Portland City Council has unanimously supported plans for an MLB team and stadium in the city.
MLB is planning to expand from 30 to 32 teams, however, an official timeline for that expansion has not been announced and Portland has not been officially approved for expansion.
The Senate and Finance Revenue Committee will hold a work session on SB 110 on March 26.
“We’re making Oregon better with baseball,” said Sen. Meek.
