Assembly Gets Opposing Bills on Raiders Move

Legislative skirmishing over the Los Angeles Raiders’ proposed move to Irwindale erupted on new fronts Wednesday with the introduction of two conflicting bills.

Assemblyman Mike Roos (D-Los Angeles), who sponsored a bill last week to block the sale of bonds to finance the proposed Raiders stadium, introduced a second bill to block the move in other ways.

It would prohibit local agencies from using state aid, local sales and use taxes or redevelopment agency funds to pay off debts on sports facilities in “destructive competition” with a facility wholly or partly owned by a state agency.

Irwindale plans to use these kinds of funds to make payments on the debt incurred to build the new Raiders stadium. Roos aides said the new stadium would be in competition with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is owned in part by the state. The new Roos bill was introduced as an urgency measure, requiring a two-thirds vote.

Confident Negotiator

Meanwhile, Assemblyman Richard L. Mountjoy (R-Monrovia), an Irwindale supporter, introduced a resolution declaring it the intent of the Legislature to support Irwindale’s Raider plans and to request the state treasurer and the California Debt Advisory Commission to ensure Irwindale’s right to finance the stadium.

The resolution also asks Los Angeles County authorities to allow Irwindale the use of county-leased land for stadium parking.

Irwindale’s negotiator on the Raider deal, Fred Lyte, said he is confident that the Legislature will take no action to block the team’s move as it winds up its session this week.

Lyte said Mountjoy and Assemblywoman Sally Tanner (D-El Monte) had promised Irwindale that they would keep close watch to see that Roos is not able to sneak through any anti-Irwindale bills in the closing press of legislative business.

Meanwhile, one Los Angeles city and one county member of the Coliseum Commission, as well as the city and county attorneys serving the commission, sharply challenged Roos’ moves on another bill that would increase the Coliseum Commission’s membership and oust its controversial president, Alexander Haagen.

Roos contends that the state can act unilaterally in the matter. Los Angeles County Supervisors Chairman Mike Antonovich, the commission’s vice president, said Wednesday, however, that the state can do nothing to restructure the commission without the assent of both the county and the city.

Also taking this position was a city member of the commission, attorney Richard Riordan, and the city and county commission attorneys, Thomas Bonaventura and Donovan Main, respectively.

They said that the joint powers agreement under which the Coliseum is run by all three levels of government would have to be formally amended by city, county and state representatives acting together, not simply by the Legislature.

Ken Reich reported from Los Angeles and Jerry Gillam from Sacramento.