Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.

Washington Referendum 48, Public Stadium Authority and Seattle Seahawks Stadium Funding Measure (June 1997)

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Washington Referendum 48
Flag of Washington.png
Election date
June 17, 1997
Topic
Athletics
Status
Approveda Approved
Type
State statute		Origin
State legislature

Washington Referendum 48 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred state statute in Washington on June 17, 1997. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported this ballot measure to:

• authorize the creation of a public stadium authority to construct, maintain, and operate a stadium in collaboration with a professional football team and

• provide public financing through sales and use tax deferral, user fees, lotteries, bonds, and local hotel/motel taxes for a new Seattle Seahawks stadium.

A "no" vote opposed this ballot measure, therefore not authorizing public stadium authorities nor providing public financing for a new Seattle Seahawks stadium.


Referendum 48 required that the Seattle Seahawks enter into an agreement with the state to reimburse costs for the special election by June 20, 1997, or the referendum results would have been voided.[1] The Seattle Seahawks signed an agreement to reimburse the state on May 14, 1997, and assigned the agreement's obligations to Football Northwest, LLC.[2] John Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and chairman of Vulcan, Inc., owned Football Northwest, LLC. The special election cost about $4.2 million.[3]

Election results

Washington Referendum 48

Result Votes Percentage

Approved Yes

820,364 51.15%
No 783,584 48.85%
Results are officially certified.
Source


Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Referendum 48 was as follows:

“

Shall a public stadium authority be authorized to build and operate a football/soccer stadium and exhibition center financed by tax revenues and private contributions?

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.


Support

Supporters

Former Officials

Individuals

  • Paul Allen - Chairman of Vulcan Inc.


Arguments

  • Former Governors Daniel Evans (R) and William 'Booth' Gardner (D): "Paul Allen, who was approached three times by community leaders and finally accepted our plea to buy the team, is now leaving the choice up to you. If this measure fails, it is clear there are no other local, committed buyers and the team will leave Seattle. Allen is a man of his word and his option to purchase the team expires on July 1. ... You essentially get a football and soccer stadium along with an exhibition center, that doesn't increase a single tax dollar and is financed in large part personally by Paul Allen."
  • Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, chairman of Vulcan, Inc., and owner of Football Northwest, which held an option to purchase the Seattle Seahawks: "I’ve said from the start I wouldn’t go forward with purchasing the Seahawks and building a new stadium and exhibition center without your approval. … Should we move forward, the new stadium and exhibition center will be a valuable asset - bringing our communities together and benefiting the state for decades to come. As a community, we set out 14 months ago to save a football team. On June 17, we’ll be voting on a new vision."


Opposition

Opponents

Officials

Individuals


Arguments

  • State Rep. Tim Sheldon (D-35): "Perhaps the most-compelling constitutional argument to vote against Referendum 48 is the fact that it is on the ballot at all. Our ballot box has been rented by Allen for this general election. He will pay the state and counties $4.2 million for the costs of the election. You and I have to gather hundreds of thousands of signatures to qualify an initiative or referendum for the ballot. How can one individual manipulate our election process and underwrite an election that he will benefit from financially if the measure passes? This is a dangerous special privilege granted to one individual with virtually unlimited financial clout. Shouldn't we set some election standards and procedures that money just can't buy?"
  • Vote NO on 48: "Referendum 48 takes your taxes to subsidize professional football. The stadium annual rent of $850,000 is like taxpayers building a $425,000 house and renting it out for only $71 per month. Referendum 48 is a bad deal for the taxpayers, but a great deal for a billionaire."


Path to the ballot

The Washington State Legislature voted to place the measure on the ballot. On April 25, 1997, the state House voted 56-41 to pass a bill for the referendum, House Bill 2192 (HB 2192). On April 26, 1997, the Senate voted 28-21. Gov. Gary Locke (D) signed the bill, placing Referendum 48 on the ballot.[4]

See also

1997 Measures

Washington

News and analysis


Footnotes

  1. ↑ Revised Code of Washington, "RCW 36.102.802," accessed June 10, 2022
  2. ↑ Washington Supreme Court, "Brower v. Washington," December 24, 1998
  3. ↑ Wired, "Paul Allen Ventures into Seattle Election," June 18, 1997
  4. ↑ Washington State Legislature, "House Bill 2192," accessed June 9, 2022
v • e
1997 ballot measures 1997 ballot measures
Flag of Washington
v • e
State of Washington
Olympia (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Washington_Referendum_48,_Public_Stadium_Authority_and_Seattle_Seahawks_Stadium_Funding_Measure_(June_1997)&oldid=8841882"