Florida professional sports teams make another push for state money

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Several of Florida's professional sports teams are trying again to win state money from the Florida Legislature.
 
State officials said Monday that they had received requests to spend money on the stadiums used by the Miami Dolphins, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The state has also received a funding request from Daytona International Speedway.

It will be up to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to rank the requests and then submit them to the Legislature for final approval.
 
Some Republican legislators tried during the 2015 session to set aside $255 million for professional sports teams.

But top House Republicans opposed the effort. That could happen again during the 2016 session that starts in January.

For the past two decades, Florida taxpayers have paid tens of millions to turn the state into a sports mecca.