Rep. Brennan to Introduce Legislation Banning Lawmakers from Accepting Free or Discounted Tickets to Professional Sporting Events
COLUMBUS — State Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan (Parma) today announced that he will introduce legislation that would prohibit lawmakers from accepting free or reduced-price tickets to professional sporting events. The measure is aimed at eliminating a clear conflict of interest and increasing public trust in the integrity of state government.
“As legislators, we are often asked to make decisions involving public funding for sports stadiums, arenas, and other subsidies to professional franchises,” said Rep. Brennan. “Accepting free or discounted tickets from those very teams — teams that benefit from taxpayer dollars — compromises our credibility and raises serious ethical concerns. Ohioans deserve to know that their representatives are voting in the public’s best interest, not because they got a free seat in a luxury box.”
The proposed legislation would close a loophole that has allowed lobbyists and team officials to offer legislators perks in the form of tickets to high-profile sporting events. Under Rep. Brennan’s bill, state lawmakers would be barred from accepting any such tickets, regardless of the source, unless they pay fair market value.
The issue is more apparent after recent budget decisions that included hundreds of millions of dollars in public support for professional sports stadium projects — including a controversial $600M allocation for a new stadium for the Cleveland Browns, owned by billionaire Jimmy Haslam and his family.
“Whether it’s a football game, a baseball game, a hockey match, or courtside seats at an NBA matchup — if it’s tied to a team we fund with taxpayer dollars, then it’s off limits,” said Rep. Brennan. “This isn’t a partisan issue; it’s about restoring trust and setting clear ethical standards.”
The legislation is expected to be formally introduced in the coming weeks. Rep. Brennan is calling on colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support the measure and take a stand for transparency and accountability in state government.