The State Bond Commission voted to pause funding on a 28 million dollar line of credit for renovations to the Superdome due to the Saints’ vaccination policy.
This morning the Saints backtracked on not allowing refunds for unvaccinated season ticket holders, but if fans cancel they lose their season ticket position. Attorney General Jeff Landry said he won’t support releasing these funds until that policy is changed.
“That would require that those season ticket holders can forfeit their tickets for this year but still stay in the season ticket position that they were in,” said Landry.
Landry said he spoke with a man who has owned season tickets since 1969 and just wants the option to opt-out for this year, the same policy that was in place last year.
“The Saints continue to remind the state and taxpayers that they have been loyal to Louisiana, and I would certainly appreciate if they would be loyal to those fans who have been loyal the whole time,” said Landry.
The vote was 10-2 in favor of pausing the funding. The two votes against came from Edwards Administration members. One of those was Edwards’ Executive Counsel Matthew Block who warned that this renovation project was on a tight deadline.
“I don’t’ know what the consequences would be if this is delayed whether it be one month or six months, or not done at all,” said Block.
The delay appears likely to last at least a month.
The Bond Commission also voted in favor of withholding financing for New Orleans hospitals, schools, roads, and other construction projects tapped for funding by the Legislature. The Commission refused to comment as to why but it was obvious enough that it was retaliation for the citywide vaccine proof policy. Block noted it’s not just the city that isn’t getting paid.
“Some of those are bills that are owed to contractors which means that contractors will be delayed another month in payment and I am sure that they are finding that out at this moment,” said Block.
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