St. Louis Senators stall stadium bill in floor debate
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St. Louis Senators stall stadium bill in floor debate

Date: February 1, 2016
By: Shannon Shaver
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: 
Two St. Louis city senators stalled a vote on legislation that would require a vote for sports complex authorities to issue bonds.
RunTime: 0:40
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap:  Bill sponsor Republican Senator Rob Schaaf says the legislature or voters ought to have a say whether the state will go into debt from these type of bonds.

Democrat Senator Joe Keaveny has 14 amendments lined up to stop Schaaf's bill. He accused Schaaf of targeting the St. Louis area.

Actuality: KEAVENYC.WAV
Run Time: 00:15
Description: My point is St. Louis is taking a hit for the last couple of years now, and we're still under attack with the earnings tax. You've done a very good job of discouraging the NFL to stay in St. Louis, I commend you for that.

Keaveny's amendments and the bill itself will continue to be debated on in session.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Shannon Shaver.

Intro: 
Senators from the St. Louis area were split over a bill to require a vote of approval on sports authorities bond issues.
RunTime: 0:39
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Senators Joe Keaveny and Jamilah Nasheed of St. Louis said Senator Rob Schaaf's bill on stadium funding was too narrow and targeted the city of St. Louis.

Senator Scott Sifton, of St. Louis County, was on the other side of this issue.

Sifton said he believes his constituents would agree with the bill.

Actuality: SIFTONA.WAV
Run Time: 00:15
Description: The notion that a unilateral bond refinancing can be used to build a, I mean the better part of a billion dollar project without a vote of the people I think is something my constituents strongly disagree with, and I don't think they're alone.

The Senate took no immediate action on the bill.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Shannon Shaver.

Intro: 
A two-hour Senate filibuster blocked a vote on a measure to stop Missouri from backing stadium bonds without legislative or voter approval.
RunTime: 0:46
OutCue: SOC

Wrap: The bill comes after Missouri's governor said he could float bonds for a new NFL stadium in St. Louis without either legislative or voter approval.

Bill sponsor Republican Senator Rob Schaaf says the legislature should have a say in this kind of funding.

Democratic Senator Jamilah Nasheed said she agrees with Schaaf, but that the bill is too narrow.

Actuality: NASHEEDA.WAV
Run Time: 00:20
Description: I do believe that this specific piece of legislation is flawed and the reason that I say that is because you are, according to your bill it only applies to the St. Louis area and to one particular entity.
Further debate on the bill is likely.Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Shannon Shaver.