September 12, 2006, Introduced by Reps. Drolet, Moore, Ward, Gosselin, Palmer, Baxter and Hoogendyk and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
A bill to amend 1991 PA 180, entitled
"An act to assist in the financing of stadia or convention
facilities; to permit eligible municipalities to impose and collect
an excise tax on businesses engaged in the preparation and delivery
of food and beverages for immediate consumption, in leasing or
renting motor vehicles in the eligible municipality, and in
providing accommodations for dwelling, lodging, or sleeping
purposes; to limit the rate of that excise tax; to authorize voter
approval in a single ballot question of the excise tax authorized
by this act and of certain purposes for which the excise tax is
imposed; to provide for the establishment of procedures for the
collection, administration, and enforcement of the excise tax; to
prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments and
state and local officials; to provide for the disposition and
transmittal of the revenues from the tax for stadia or convention
facility development and other purposes and authorize the pledge of
those revenues; to authorize the appointment of employees and
officials of a local governmental unit to an authority to which
revenues from the tax may be pledged; to prescribe penalties and
provide remedies; and to repeal certain acts and parts of acts,"
(MCL 207.751 to 207.759) by amending the title and by adding
section 7a.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
TITLE
An act to assist in the financing of stadia or convention
facilities; to permit eligible municipalities to impose and collect
an excise tax on businesses engaged in the preparation and delivery
of food and beverages for immediate consumption, in leasing or
renting motor vehicles in the eligible municipality, and in
providing accommodations for dwelling, lodging, or sleeping
purposes; to limit the rate of that excise tax; to authorize voter
approval in a single ballot question of the excise tax authorized
by this act and of certain purposes for which the excise tax is
imposed; to provide for the establishment of procedures for the
collection, administration, and enforcement of the excise tax; to
prescribe the powers and duties of certain state departments and
state and local officials; to provide for the disposition and
transmittal of the revenues from the tax for stadia or convention
facility development and other purposes and authorize the pledge of
those revenues; to impose requirements on certain entities that
own, operate, or lease stadia that receive public funding; to
authorize the appointment of employees and officials of a local
governmental unit to an authority to which revenues from the tax
may be pledged; to prescribe penalties and provide remedies; and to
repeal certain
acts and parts of acts.
Sec. 7a. (1) Except as provided in this section, an entity
that owns, operates, or leases a sports stadium for which 20% or
more of the construction costs are derived from state or local
taxes shall not prohibit a member of the press from reasonable
access to the sidelines of the playing area to obtain photographic
or video coverage of a sporting event that is open to the public.
(2) The prohibition in subsection (1) does not prevent either
of the following:
(a) An entity that owns, operates, or leases a sports stadium
from enforcing reasonable rules to preserve the health and safety
of the public and the orderly use of the sports stadium.
(b) Compliance with terms in a contract that is in effect on
the effective date of the act that added this section.
(3) A member of the press who is denied reasonable access to
the sidelines in violation of subsection (1) may bring an action to
enjoin the violation and for actual damages in a court in the
county in which the sports stadium is located. The court may award
costs and reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing plaintiff.