The joint Ways and Means Committee of the Oregon Legislature gave overwhelming support to the University’s basketball arena project this morning, and recommended to the full legislature that a $200 taxpayer bond for construction should be approved during the special February legislative session.
Legislators highlighted the concerns of their constituents, saying many of them felt the state shouldn’t spend money on a basketball arena when it already can’t properly fund education, transportation and mental health hospitals.
But the committee concluded with just the opposite idea. Tax payer money likely won’t go toward this project, because the athletic department will earn enough revenue to pay back the debt.
“It’s been the practice general to not use tax payer dollars to support athletic programs,” said Sen. Kurt Schrader, committee co-chair. “And I think that’s what we have here before us today. We are not using your taxes to support athletics, what’s better yet about this project is that it’s trying to be self sustaining.”
Now that the University has the blessing of the committee and the State Board of Higher Education, it faces essentially the final hurdle of full legislative support this February. If the bonds are approved, the University will return to the state board for final approval before breaking ground after the conclusion of the Olympic Trials in July.
“I would hope we have more projects like this coming forward,” Schrader said. “This is exactly the type of leadership that we need to have to ensure your taxpayer dollars can go to academic programs in these tight times.”