Nevada lawmaker’s video rips bandage off Vegas-Oakland wound
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LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A video posted on social media by a Nevada lawmaker has provoked “righteous outrage” among critics of Nevada’s commitment to fund the A’s stadium and Oakland defenders upset over “Third World” name-calling in a follow-up video.
Republican Assemblywoman Danielle Gallant’s post shows that she didn’t fully understand the funding plan she voted for in a June special session of the Nevada Legislature. She mistakenly describes all state funding for the stadium as tax breaks in the first video, posted on X Monday. And people are in no mood to forgive her.
In fact, $380 million of the cost would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits — and the A’s will pay back $120 million of that over the life of the 30-year agreement. The state will also contribute $14 million for a credit enhancement for bonds.
Another $120 million will come from Clark County bonds. A $25 million credit from the county will pay for infrastructure improvements for the stadium.
8 News Now reported those numbers on June 14 when lawmakers adjourned after sending the funding package to Gov. Joe Lombardo, who signed it.
Gallant was only talking about state funding when she posted the video on Monday, but on Wednesday she posted a four-paragraph statement that included: “It’s important to own our errors, and I do so now openly.” Gallant’s message admitted her misunderstanding, and she thanked the people who pointed out her error.
Being a legislator in Nevada certainly presents its challenges. We work within a condensed period — 120 days every two years — to tackle nearly a thousand bills, aiming to pass hundreds. It’s a testament to our dedication to uphold the constitution despite the imperfections of the process. Recently, I’ve come to realize a misunderstanding I had regarding the financing of the A’s stadium project. I am grateful to those who have corrected me respectfully. Your input has spurred me to delve deeper and better understand the nuances of the financial arrangements involved.
To those who chose to criticize less constructively, I hope future errors you make are met with more kindness than some of the responses I received. Remember, a single mistake does not define me or anyone else. It’s important to own our errors, and I do so now openly.
Despite the strong opinions this issue has sparked, my view remains unchanged: bringing the A’s to Nevada is beneficial for our state. This perspective is held in spite of the disagreements that persist, and I will continue to approach this dialogue with humility and a willingness to listen.
Let’s remember we are all human. We all stumble, we all err, and admitting those mistakes is a rarity deserving of respect. I look forward to continuing this discussion with all of you, reflecting the best of what civic engagement should be.
The original video ripped the bandage off for a lot of Oakland A’s fans who are still angry at A’s management for taking the team to Las Vegas — and years of history that led up to the decision.
A follow-up video Gallant posted escalated the bad blood with the Oakland community.
“Oakland is like a Third World country with the amount of homeless that are lining the streets and the amount of crime that is being committed on a daily basis there,” she said.
And she went back to X Wednesday to dispute suggestions that the A’s bought her vote with a $1,000 campaign contribution.
Some commenters on the videos said they would support her opponent in the upcoming election. She is running unopposed. Gallant represents Assembly District 23, which extends from the southern edge of Henderson to the southern tip of Clark County.
But it’s not just Oakland faithful who are perturbed. Critics of stadium funding have no borders, and a core of Nevada opponents have made funding for schools a rallying point in the argument against using public funding.
“Every dollar we spend building stadiums is a dollar we aren’t using for public education,” spokesman Alexander Marks said in a February statement as Strong Public Schools Nevada filed a lawsuit to block state funding for the stadium. “Public money should not go to a billionaire for a stadium while Nevada ranks 48th in the nation with the largest class sizes and highest educator vacancy rates in the country.”
Republicans and Democrats joined to support the funding package last June with the lure of union jobs on the table. Teachers had a larger voice at the Legislature, and they asked a lot of hard questions as Senate Bill 1 went through hearings. Persistent voices against using state funding haven’t died down.
Is there any reason to think the deal could be undone?
A poll on April 1-2 by Emerson College Polling/8 News Now/The Hill showed 52% of Las Vegas voters oppose using public money for the stadium. The poll found 32% of voters support public funding, and the remaining voters were undecided.
Comments on Gallant’s videos suggested that A’s ownership is struggling to find the rest of the money they would need to build the $1.5 billion stadium, which will go up at the site of the Tropicana Las Vegas resort after it’s torn down. There’s also a suggestion that the whole situation benefits MGM Resorts International, which occupies the other three corners at Tropicana Avenue and the Strip.
An effort by a group known as “Schools Over Stadiums” to put the question to a public vote failed in November when a Carson City judge struck down the petition on multiple grounds. An appeal has been filed with the Nevada Supreme Court.
An economics professor at West Virginia University who researches sports stadiums said teams usually change their approach if a step in the process fails. But rarely do they abandon their pursuit of public funding for a stadium. Even rarer is the decision to leave a city.
But the Oakland Athletics are already several steps down that path, with the approval of Major League Baseball owners already in place for the move, and political leaders in Las Vegas waiting with open arms.
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