SB 324

Under current law, a professional baseball park district (district) is created in

each county with a population of at least 600,000 (presently, only Milwaukee County)

and all counties that are contiguous to that county (in relation to Milwaukee County,

these counties are Ozaukee County, Racine County, Washington County, and

Waukesha County). The district has a variety of powers. Among these, the district

may acquire, construct, equip, maintain, improve, operate, and manage baseball

park facilities and may set standards governing the use of, and the conduct within,

baseball park facilities. The district is authorized to impose a sales tax and a use tax

at a rate of no more than 0.1 percent. Also, the district may issue bonds for the

purpose of purchasing, acquiring, leasing, constructing, extending, adding to,

improving, conducting, controlling, operating, or managing baseball park facilities.

Bonds issued by the district must be secured only by the district's interest in any

baseball park facilities, by income from these facilities, and by the sales tax and use

tax that the district is authorized to levy. The district may not collect such taxes after

the calendar quarter in which the district certifies to the Department of Revenue

that the district has retired all of its bonds.

Also under current law, members of certain designated special groups may

obtain special registration plates for certain vehicles that are owned or leased by

special group members. A fee, in addition to the regular registration fee for the

particular kind of vehicle, is charged for the issuance or reissuance of most special

plates.

Current law establishes an authorized special group for persons interested in

obtaining special plates expressing support for certain major league professional

baseball teams (Brewers plate). In addition to the regular vehicle registration fee

and special plate fee, special group members are required to include an additional

annual fee of $25. Two percent of the funds from the additional fee are distributed

to Major League Baseball as a licensing fee and the balance is provided to the district.

Under this bill, when the district certifies to DOR that the district has retired

all of its bonds, the district must make the same certification to the Department of

Transportation. After the district makes this certification, the distribution of the

additional annual fee for Brewers plates is modified. As under current law, 2 percent

of the additional annual fee is distributed to Major League Baseball as a licensing

fee. The remainder of the additional annual fee, however, is distributed to the county

in which the vehicle for which the special plate is issued is customarily kept.