Proposal to Tax Pro Sports Tickets Dies : Legislature: Bill that would raise money for school athletics is dropped after criticism in committee.

A plan to raise money for school athletics by imposing a 3% tax on tickets for professional sporting events died Wednesday before a hostile state Senate committee.

Proposed by Assemblyman Steve Clute (D-Riverside), the ticket tax would have raised more than $7 million next year, of which 90% would have been earmarked for recreational and competitive sports at public K-12 schools and community colleges in the state. The remaining 10% would have gone to California State University sports programs.

Clute told the Senate Education Committee Wednesday that the tax would help replace money now being cut from athletic programs as the state’s budget woes trickle down to local school districts.

He and other proponents, including a spokesman for the California Teachers Assn., said San Francisco schools already benefit from a temporary tax on tickets to baseball and football games.

“The sports fans will understand they are paying a few cents more--on a $10 (San Francisco) Giants ticket, it’s 30 cents--to benefit children’s athletics,” said Bill Collins of the CTA.

But committee members were skeptical, criticizing Clute’s tax because it would benefit athletics, while slighting programs for the arts, theater and music.

“We’re cutting music and art and we’re going from 30 (kids) to 35 kids in a class, and I don’t see the protection of sports as more important than the other things we are doing,” said Sen. Becky Morgan (R-Los Altos Hills).

Frederick Taugher--lobbyist for the Rams, Chargers and 49ers--also criticized the plan because it would be the first time the state would impose a tax on services, not goods. Sports tickets are exempt from state taxes.

Taugher also said many professional sports teams already contribute to public coffers because they rent public facilities.

Clute then agreed to drop the tax plan but gained committee approval for putting a voluntary check-off for school athletic programs on state income tax forms.