The push to block the Oakland A's relocation continues

The Oakland Athletics move to Las Vegas is no closer to completion, as the Nevada State Education Association (NESA) is preparing to file an injunction to block the $380 million in public funds for the A’s, on the grounds that it is unconstitutional.

The $380 million was approved last June by the Nevada Government to build a stadium for the A’s on the grounds of the Tropicana Hotel on the Strip. The team is expected to start playing there in 2028. Stadiums Over Schools, a political action group created by NESA, is the leader behind the injunction, citing that it was launched in response to the public spending going towards the stadium when Nevada schools rank 48th in the nation in per-pupil funding, while having the largest class sizes in the nation, according to their website.

“Nevada’s priorities are misguided, and public funds should not go to a California billionaire for a stadium,” said Dawn Etcheverry, a music teacher and president of NSEA and Schools Over Stadiums, on their website. “For years, Nevada educators have been issuing an SOS over the dire conditions in our schools. The goal of Schools Over Stadiums is to right this ship and keep the focus on Nevada’s true priorities - our kids, our parents, and our educators.”

NESA’s lawsuit will require over 100,000 signatures by June 26 to force a referendum, according to CBS Sports. If the vote becomes public, there is a chance that the A’s move is blocked altogether, as many locals do not support the relocation.

“We’re not relying on John Fisher’s ineptitude to kill this deal,” said Chris Daly, the NESA deputy executive director of government relations, at the fan-produced Oakland A’s Fans Fest on Saturday. “It doesn’t hurt. When we finally kill the Tropicana stadium deal, it will be a combination of these Oakland A’s fans, our efforts at Schools Over Stadiums and Strong Public Schools, and John Fisher’s ineptitude.”

Fisher is the owner of the last-place A’s and has been since 2005 and has been trying to orchestrate the move to Vegas, even with the pushback from fans, Nevadans, and government officials. With baseball’s opening day approaching, the Athletics still do not have a stadium to play in, as their contract with the Oakland Coliseum expired at the end of last year.