ATLANTA (AP) If Atlanta is chosen to host a Super Bowl, people buying tickets will pay no state sales taxes under a bill headed to Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal's desk.
The state Senate easily approved the measure Tuesday, joining supporters including Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. They say it's required to secure a host spot for the National Football League premier event.
Atlanta is one of four finalist cities competing for either the 2019 or 2020 Super Bowl, against New Orleans, Miami and Tampa, Florida. Dan Corso, executive director of the Atlanta Sports Council which is leading the bid, has said both Florida and Louisiana already give the exemption.
If Atlanta is selected, Georgia is expected to forgo $10 million in sales taxes on game tickets. The bill gives the same exemption on tickets to other sporting events expected to generate at least $50 million in other revenue, including all-star games for professional baseball, soccer and basketball.
Supporters argued that the metro Atlanta area will benefit from such a large event and say hotel booking, meals and other local tourism spending will far exceed the state sales taxes lost on tickets.
State Sen. Butch Miller, a Republican from Gainesville who acts as Deal's floor leader helping shepherd bills through to legislature, called the exemption ``a business decision.''
``There will be 100,000 people coming to this event and they will stay in all the surrounding counties,'' said Miller. ``It won't be just downtown Atlanta.''
A mix of conservative Republicans and Democrats questioned the exemption, calling it a giveaway to the NFL and accusing the league and Georgia economic development groups of ``extortion.''
``This is about the greedy getting richer, the one percent getting richer,'' said state Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta.
Several efforts to amend the bill, including one amendment scrapping the ticket exemption, failed on the Senate floor.
``The NFL is threatening you,'' state Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, said. He was referring to an email from an NFL official's confirming the sales exemption is required. Copies were passed out to senators during the debate.
``My response to that is `OK,''' McKoon said. ``We're not going to sacrifice Georgia taxpayers because the NFL thinks it can hold us hostage.''
House leadership also added language to the bill continuing two popular tax breaks on back-to-school supplies and energy or water-efficient home appliances, winning over some skeptics in that chamber.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/3/377874/super-bowl-ticket-tax-exemption-heads-to-georgia-governor