TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida's legislative leaders are ordering their own economists to rank and evaluate proposals to hand out millions in taxpayer money to professional sports teams.
The state has received requests totaling $255 million that would help pay for improvements to stadiums used by the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Miami Dolphins, the fledgling Orlando City Lions soccer team and Daytona International Speedway.
But the state's main economic development agency contended earlier this week that the new law authorizing the payments doesn't require any ranking of the projects.
House Speaker Steve Crisafulli on Friday said it would be a "disservice" to ask legislators to vote on the proposals without any rankings.
Crisafulli and Senate President Andy Gardiner want their own chief economist to rank the proposals over the next few weeks.
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