The lawsuit, if successful, would not stop the A’s from moving to Las Vegas. It would force A’s owner John Fisher to decide whether he wants to make up any lost public funding, reopen negotiations with Oakland, or consider moving the team elsewhere, perhaps Portland or Salt Lake City.
The cost of that new ballpark, targeted for a grand opening in 2028, is estimated at $1.5 billion. The A’s are responsible for funding the balance of the construction cost.
Owners are expected to vote in favor of the relocation on Thursday. The move would be only the second in MLB in the past 50 years, and the first since the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, D.C. in 2005.
In a statement, Nevada State Education Assn. President Dawn Etcheverry said her organization believes the law that authorized the public funding “violates at least 5 sections of the state constitution, which should lead to the bill’s partial or total invalidation.”
She said the NSEA has “asked legal counsel to draft litigation” and plans will be to file a lawsuit aimed at overturning that law “in the coming weeks.”
The NSEA also is pursuing a referendum that would ask voters to approve some of the public funding. A judge last week threw out the referendum petition, calling it “legally deficient.” The NSEA filed a notice of appeal on Monday.