California lawmakers may intervene for third NFL stadium

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For the third time in four years, state lawmakers will consider whether to provide custom legislation in the waning hours of the session to help in the construction of an NFL stadium in California.

The Legislature approved a special bill in 2009 that granted a waiver from environmental laws to a football stadium proposed in the city of Industry, and last year it granted similar concessions to a stadium proposed in downtown Los Angeles.

Now, Sen. Elaine Alquist (D-Santa Clara) has drafted legislation to help with the construction of a football stadium in her hometown for the San Francisco 49ers. With a month left in the legislative session, Alquist has acted to gut and amend a bill on teacher credentialing to instead provide that up to $30 million in redevelopment funds be made available for the new 49ers stadium.

The bill, a copy of which was provided this week to The Times, says ‘unique circumstances’ argue that ‘this special statute is necessary.’

The city agreed to provide the money from its redevelopment agency before Gov. Jerry Brown pushed through a statewide shutdown of those agencies, and a county board has denied the city’s request that the money be provided to the stadium as promised, said Sailaja Rajappan, a spokeswoman for Alquist. Efforts to free up the money are also pending in the courts, which could settle the issue before lawmakers do.

When the county decision was made last month, Alquist made it clear that she would try to get the Legislature to intervene. ‘I’m not going to let this money grab by the county stand unchallenged,’ she said at the time.

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-- Patrick McGreevy in Sacramento