State Senate approves measure that would keep soccer in Utah

It took two tries today — and a hastily called closed-door caucus among majority Republicans — but in the end, the state Senate gave final approval today to a bill Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said was needed to keep the Real Salt Lake soccer team from leaving Utah.

The bill must still be approved again by the House, because it was amended. That vote could come quickly, if House members decide to suspend their rules or, if not, on Thursday.

"I guess I'd better get busy, but we have some time" before the Friday deadline announced last week by the governor, said House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy.

Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, was visibly pleased with the 20-8-1 vote, throwing up his hands and cheering during a meeting in his office with reporters.

"The record speaks for itself. We got 20 votes," Valentine said.

Now, Valentine said, it's up to the participants in an inter-local agreement the Governor's Office of Community and Economic Development, Sandy city and the team to work out the details of the deal, including what's needed to ensure the team doesn't leave Utah.

The bill bypasses Salt Lake County altogether.

Early talks pegged the county to give back $20 million to the state for a parking garage, through an inter-local agreement was expected to have been discussed Tuesday. That part of the deal was tossed, however, after concerns over who would own the land.

Instead, the county will keep the $20 million, and the state will get a total of $35 million by taking 15 percent of the county's hotel-tax revenue for the next 20 years.

Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon said today that he didn't approve of the Legislature's moves on the stadium deal. However, he said, he knows the Legislature holds the purse strings to the hotel-tax revenue and can fund the stadium without the added incentives the county would have received.

"It's their prerogative," Corroon said.

"We looked at it and didn't feel it was viable," he added. "The Legislature decided they wanted to gamble."

Even so, Corroon said, "I stand by my decision, as much as I want soccer to be here."

The Salt Lake County Council voted today to support the amended bill that would take $35 million in hotel-tax revenue that would have gone into county coffers and instead fund land and infrastructure for the stadium.

Councilman Joe Hatch said it was the best way to keep everyone happy.