Bill will support spring training, teams
The serenading began before the final vote was tallied.
Lawmakers gave Rep. Nancy Detert an enthusiastic rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" on the floor of the Florida House on Friday evening.
The singing continued after the House gave final approval for her bill providing tax breaks to help Sarasota, Bradenton and three other cities keep their spring training baseball teams.
The vote came on the last day of Detert's last legislative session. She had failed twice before to win the bill's passage.
"It's been nice being on third base for two years," Detert quipped, just before the vote. "But it'll be nicer to slide into home."
The legislation had rolled along smoothly until Wednesday, when Miami senators pulled a surprise move and tried to add the Florida Marlins to her bill. They said the baseball team would leave for Texas if they don't get a deal for a new stadium in Hialeah.
Their maneuver failed, but lawmakers were able to add the Marlins to a bill helping the Orlando Magic basketball team. Then the Magic, fearing the weight of the Marlins would sink their bill, convinced the Senate to add them to the spring training bill.
Detert's bill provides up to $15 million in sales tax revenues over 30 years to help fund new stadiums or improvements in Sarasota, Bradenton, St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale and Winter Haven.
Amendments to the bill could also lead to help for the New York Mets, who have spring training in Port St. Lucie. The Mets will be allowed to compete for one of five available slots.
The bill will also help the Orlando Magic build a new arena or renovate an old one. It also gives local governments the option of using existing tax revenue to retain their own local pro sports or motorsports venues.
Detert helped sell fellow lawmakers on the bill with a study showing spring training generates $450 million in spending in Florida every year and attracts 800,000 visitors. Competition with Arizona was also a factor, as the Cactus League tries to steal teams from Florid's Grapefruit League.
The bill now heads to the governor's desk.
"It's wonderful," Sarasota City Commissioner Mary Anne Servian said Friday evening. "This is a perfect example of what can happen when everyone's working together."
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