After endless delays and multiple special sessions held in the courts of Nevada, the Senate finally passed Las Vegas A's stadium funding bill on Tuesday, June 13.
In a day packed full of drama from the East Bay to Nevada, fans of the Oakland Athletics organization had to pay attention to the action taking place both on and off the field, near and far away from the Oakland Coliseum.
The A's fans organized what came to be known as the "Reverse Boycott" game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The team paid them back with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory. Nevada, though, screwed the evening for Oakland residents as the senate passed the bills for the construction of a new stadium in the Las Vegas strip paving the way for a future relocation of the team in the state and away from the Bay Area.
The final vote tally read 13-8 in favor of the bill, passing it and confirming what most A's fans feared: owner John Fisher and president Dave Kaval, in their nth run at it, are finally uprooting the Athletics from Oakland.
The Assembly meets Wednesday at 1 p.m., and if approved, it goes to Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, who is a strong proponent for the bill.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 13, 2023
If it clears the final two hurdles, as expected, MLB owners are expected to unanimously approve the Oakland #A's relocation to Las Vegas. https://t.co/gHPAebw6ZD
A few amendments had to be done before getting the bill to pass on Tuesday's special session. The assembly adjourned until Wednesday, June 14, following the vote. If the bill is completely approved today, then it will go to Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo. Lombardo will then sign it, seal it, and deliver Oakland the final blow in a war the town has been fighting for a long time--to no avail.
Once everything is passed and signed today, then the public funding would make the A’s move from Oakland to Las Vegas a sure thing to happen. Only one final hurdle would need to be solved as the MLB owners need to confirm and approve the relocation. But we all know they won't oppose.
The Nevada Independent reported on Tuesday that the A’s management is "working with investment firm Goldman Sachs on a combination of debt and equity financing covering no less than $1.1 billion of the $1.5 billion the stadium project will cost."
Never say never, but the days of the A's in Oakland seem to be more numbered than ever before.
Wednesday's session will be the third-to-last line to cross by the Athletics ownership on their way to Las Vegas. Lombardo's signature will mark the second-to-last blast. The MLB owners, led by Commissioner Rob Manfred, will wrap it all up when they approve the relocation.
The Las Vegas Strip stadium is projected to be ready to use by the start of the 2027 season. Consider that the absolute latest date to start watching the A's taking baseball fields while donning "Las Vegas" wordmarks across their chests. Realistically, that will be the case sooner than later.