TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida's oldest professional sports franchise - the Miami Dolphins - has been dealt a crushing blow by the Florida Legislature, which ended its session without passing any funding plan that would assist the team's quest to refurbish its stadium.
The refusal of the GOP-controlled Legislature to aid the team before adjourning Friday evening wasn't just a defeat for the Dolphins - it could also sack South Florida's efforts to lure another Super Bowl to the region in the next few years.
The Dolphins and other professional sports teams were all backing a Florida Senate proposal that would have allowed each of them to compete for a share of state tax dollars. But the House - led by Speaker Will Weatherford - refused to bring up the legislation.
