As part of the city of Atlanta’s bid to land a Super Bowl, state lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday to exempt tickets from sales taxes.
House Bill 951 would remove the tax on tickets to the Super Bowl, any semifinal or championship college tournament, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer or NBA all-star game, or "any other major sporting event determined by the commissioner of economic development and the state revenue commissioner to be expected to generate revenue of at least $50 million in the host locality."
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chad Nimmer, R-Blackshear, has bipartisan support, and is designed to back Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed's bid to land a Super Bowl in the new home of the Atlanta Falcons.
The NFL has said these tax breaks are a requirement of any winning bid.
"We have a decision to make," Reed told the AJC recently. "Either we want to win a Super Bowl or we don't. Atlanta should be competitive."
The Atlanta Sports Council is backing legislation that would waive the state sales tax on tickets for the Super Bowl, worth an estimated $5 million to $6 million. The same deal could potentially extend to other pricey sporting events.
The bill is backed by Gov. Nathan Deal, and House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, D-Atlanta, is one of the co-sponsors. Don't expect the bill to fly through the Legislature, however, as noted conservatives have already lined up against it.
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