Senate Bill 1501, the proposal to divert Portland Trail Blazers-oriented tax revenue from the State of Oregon to the renovation of the Moda Center, the arena in which the Trail Blazers play—passed the Oregon Senate today in a full vote. In order to become law, the bill will also have to be approved by the Oregon House of Representatives and signed by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek.
At its heart, the bill calls for an accounting of state income tax generated by Trail Blazers players and staff, plus workers
in and around the arena affiliated with the operation of the team. Those dollars would be placed into a fund from which renovations to the arena would be drawn.
The Trail Blazers sent out an official statement via Director of Business Operations Dewyane Hankins to media following the Senate vote. It reads:
Thank you to Senate President [Rob] Wagner, Senator [Kate] Lieber, and all the members of the Oregon Senate who voted for Senate Bill 1501. The opportunities ahead are significant. Moda Center truly is Oregon’s arena, where people from across the state come together for concerts, family shows, rodeos, and basketball games. Reinvesting the revenue generated by Moda Center back into the arena is an investment in jobs, the economy, and a bright future for Oregon.
We will update the progress of this bill as it continues through the legislative process.
