PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon lawmakers took a full-court press at the Capitol, debating a bill that could decide the future of the Blazers’ home court.

Senate Bill 1501 does not allocate any new money, but it would set up a playbook for how the state and city could partner to fund critical renovations at the Moda Center, home of the Portland Trail Blazers, over the next two decades.

The Moda Center is currently the oldest unrenovated arena in the NBA. Supporters argued before the Senate Rules Committee Monday that keeping the team in Rip City – and Oregon in the game – means acting now.

PORTLAND, OREGON – OCTOBER 22: A general view outside Moda Center before the game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 22, 2025 in Portland, Oregon.

PORTLAND, OREGON – OCTOBER 22: A general view outside Moda Center before the game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 22, 2025 in Portland, Oregon.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson told the committee, “The city of Portland is all in on Moda.”

He outlined a local investment plan that would go through City Council, including $120 million in upfront capital and an average of $14 million per year for ongoing operations and improvements — totaling over $400 million across the life of the project.

Wilson said the city’s plan would rely on the council to determine the source of the $120 million and a mix of revenue sources, including user fees on tickets, parking fees, and other mechanisms for the ongoing capital expense.

Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Peterson pledged $88 million, drawing from a rental car tax and business income tax revenue once existing bonds mature in 2031, pending board approval.

Supporters said the renovations would protect 4,500 jobs and hundreds of millions in economic impact.

If passed, the bill would create an Oregon Arena Fund and lay the groundwork for shared state-city ownership of the arena.

It would also reinvest taxes generated at the Moda Center — including athlete and performer income taxes — back into arena operations without raising new taxes.

However, not everyone is game: Steve Wright of Tax Fairness Oregon told lawmakers he opposed the bill.

“The investors, after spending $4 billion, seem unwilling to invest a few more hundred-million renovation dollars,” Wright said. “Thus, Oregonians, especially the poor, will be paying for what would otherwise be the owner’s financial responsibility.”

Britt Conroy of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon added, “While an Arena Fund may be the most politically likely scenario, it feels precarious … We’re making an offering to the new owners, asking for mercy and hoping for the best.”

Despite some pushback, Senate President Rob Wagner, sponsor of the bill, told KOIN 6 News what he felt was at stake.

“If we lose our anchor tenant, the Portland Trail Blazers, we’re going to lose tens of millions of dollars of income that flows into the state of Oregon through our general fund,” Wagner said. “That supports education, that supports health care.”

Wagner noted the Moda Center generates about $670 million in economic activity each year, adding, “The ripple effect of what we need to do is actually central to economic development, and I honestly think that the investment is going to, in essence, pay for itself.”

Wagner also addressed critics’ concerns about a location stake, which would require the Blazers to remain in Portland over the course of the deal.

“If we’re going to have skin in the game in terms of this investment, we’re going to make sure that the Trail Blazers are here for many, many years,” he said.

The next stop for SB 1501 is a hearing before the Senate Rules Committee on February 16.

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