LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In just a matter of weeks, the Nevada Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments as the battle over funding for a potential A's ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip continues.
According to court documents, proceedings are scheduled for April 9 at 3:30 p.m. in Las Vegas.
According to court records Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar has been named in the case and on Tuesday, he filed a motion to appear remotely for oral arguments. However, on Friday, the court denied that motion.
This is regarding a lower court's decision to keep a political action committee called Schools Over Stadiums from challenging public funding for the project.
In September, Schools Over Stadiums officials filed a referendum petition to repeal that funding. They claimed that during the 82nd Legislative Session, Nevada legislators "failed to hear a single bill to reduce Nevada's overcrowded classrooms". However, the group said they were being sued by Danny Thompson, former executive secretary-treasurer of the Nevada State AFL-CIO, which represents more than 150,000 union members from 120 unions statewide, and Thomas Morley, a former union officer and political consultant who previously lobbied to bring the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas.
In November, District Court Judge James Todd Russell ruled in favor of Thompson and Morley saying the petition for the referendum is "legally deficient" and the group would need to better explain the measure to Nevada voters. At the time, Schools Over Stadiums spokesperson Alexander Marks told Channel 13 it was a temporary setback.
"The decision was disappointing, but not uncommon," Marks said. "I like to say that educators overcome obstacles every day, especially in a state that's 48th in the nation in education funding."
In a statement given to Channel 13, Bradley Schrager, a lawyer for the coalition that includes the A's, said "Nevada voters have the right to expect ballot measures to be conducted lawfully".
After that ruling, Schools Over Stadiums appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court.
If the appeal is successful or the referendum is refiled, the group would need more than 100,000 signatures by early July to bring the matter before voters.
During the World Series, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was asked about the lawsuit and he said he was "keeping a wary eye" on developments.
"If there was an adverse development with respect to that referendum, that would be a significant development," Manfred told reporters. "That's all I can say about that."
The Nevada Supreme Court said oral arguments will be live streamed on the court's website here.
