By Majority Leader David M. Gowan, Sr. (Dist. 14)
Date: July 14, 2014
As Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and Prime Sponsor of the Major Event Public Safety bill, I would like to respond to the misinformation regarding House Bill 2547.
The bill was designed to ensure that large, nationally broadcast events in Arizona remain safe. Public safety is the first priority of government, and that is why I sponsored it. This bill did not require the state to dig into its pocket, but instead used a small portion of the additional money generated by the event for extra security to keep the public safe. Moreover, the bill provided safeguards, with certified financial statements and legislative committee reports, to ensure that all money was used as intended.
Specifically, the bill permitted the state to reimburse host communities, where the event was subject to a competitive bidding process, attracted at least 14,000 attendees and was broadcast live, up to 50 percent of the “extra expense of providing public safety.” The money for extra security was to come directly from the additional sales tax revenues generated by the event itself, not from our general tax dollars.
In light of the importance of public safety and our reputation as a state for making that a priority, the W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU estimated that the 2008 Super Bowl held in Arizona had an economic impact, both direct and indirect, of $500 million. That is spending that would not have happened in Arizona if the event had not been held here.
This one event generated about $28 million of additional revenue to the state’s General Fund. That translates into an additional $8.4 million that was distributed from the General Fund to counties and cities; money that Cochise County and the communities within it would not have received if the event had never happened.
My goal with this law was to allow Arizona to continue to welcome large, nationally televised special events without compromising our public safety. Unfortunately, this bill died in the Senate.
David M. Gowan, Sr.
Majority Leader
State Representative, LD 14
Arizona House Republican Caucus
http://www.azhouserepublicans.com/
