New York Governor Supports MMA Legalization
by Zak Woods on Jan 11, 2010 11:00 AM EST
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The New York Daily News is reporting that New York Governor Paterson will support MMA legislation to help alleviate the state's financial woes.
ALBANY - Gov. Paterson is set to propose legalizing ultimate fighting and its controversial steel-cage matches to help wrestle the state's fiscal woes.
Madison Square Garden and upstate venues have supported the idea in hopes of hosting its events. An Ultimate Fighting Championship league match scheduled for Newark in March sold out last week.
Paterson, who has said the state faces a deficit of up to $9 billion, is looking for ways to generate revenue without raising taxes or borrowing and will reveal his proposal in his 2009-10 budget plan Jan. 19, sources told the Daily News.
Supporters say legalizing the sport would result in millions of dollars for the cash-strapped state - not just from the matches but also the economic impact on hotels, restaurants and other businesses.
A study done in 2008 by the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization estimated one event would generate $11.5 million in economic activity in New York City and $5.2 million in Buffalo. Ultimate Fighting Championship estimates there could be two or three events a year in New York.
Ultimate fighting takes place in steel cages and allows punching, kicking and choke holds. Matches end with knockouts, submission by a fighter or a referee's or doctor's order. The sport is regulated in 42 states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Florida and California.
New York banned it in 1997 at the urging of then-Gov. George Pataki, who called it barbaric. A bill to reverse the ban and allow the sport to be regulated by the state Athletic Commission has died the past two years in the Assembly.
In another revenue-raising scheme, Paterson's no-new-taxes pledge might not extend to smokers: He raised the possibility of boosting the state's cigarette excise tax of $2.75 per pack, already the nation's third highest.
"If things get rough, we might go back to a cigarette tax that would be devoted to health care," he told 106.9 FM radio in Syracuse. "We would think about doing that."
New York last hiked its cigarette excise tax by $1.25 in June 2008. That's on top of the $1.50 per pack the city charges and the federal excise tax of $1.01 per pack. The average pack in New York City now costs near $10.
Okay, so besides calling MMA 'ultimate fighting' (can we really, really be done with that?) and calling the sport controversial (I wasn't aware there were any protests at MMA events recently) legalizing MMA in New York is now the equivalent of raising taxes on smokers.
We are moving up in the world baby!
Update: New York Assemblyman and MMA opponent, Bob Riley, may try to change the upcoming bill to not allow strikes to a ground opponent.
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That comprimise is not legit and he knows it will never pass that way. He is doing it to show that he tried to bring in money and provide a campaign move.
The state would not be legalizing MMA to bring MMA to New York. They would legalize it to bring the UFC to New York. Riley has to know this and knows the UFC would not hold an event like that. Obnoxious, but smart political play on his part. That is why i hate politics.
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