LOOKING OUT FOR YOU. >> FROM THE CAPITAL TONIGHT, ONE STATE LAWMAKER IS LAYING OUT A NEW PLAN TO HELP BRING ANOTHER PRO-SPORTS TEAM TO THE SOONER HE LAID OUT THE DETAILS TODAY IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NEWS FOUR'S SPENCER HUMPHREY, SPENCER. YEAH, GUYS, THAT LAWMAKER IS OKLAHOMA'S HOUSE FLOOR LEADER STATE REP JOHN ECCLES. HE JUST FINISH DRAFTING. >> A NEW BILL THAT HE SAYS WOULD HELP CITIES LIKE OKC OR EVEN TULSA LAYTON, OTHER PRO SPORTS FRANCHISE.
>> I MEAN, WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS RIGHT NOW FOR MLS TEAMS. WE KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS FOR NHL TEAMS, BUT STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN ECCLES SAYS OKLAHOMA HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT A BIT OF A DISADVANTAGE WHEN IT COMES TO GROWING OUR PRO SPORTS LANDSCAPE. WE ARE A GROWING MEDIA MARKET. BUT OKLAHOMA CITY RIGHT NOW IS MEDIA MARKET 47, BUT WE HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE. WE HAVE TO SET UP STRUCTURES WHERE WE CAN GO COMPETE WITH LOS ANGELES, BOSTON, CHICAGO. HE BELIEVES HIS NEWEST DRAFT OF HOUSE BILL. 39, 59 WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY LEVEL THAT PLAYING FIELD. THIS IS ABOUT CASTING A VISION. IF PASSED, IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY EXPAND OKLAHOMA'S QUALITY JOBS ACT, WHICH GIVES COMPANIES TAX BREAKS FOR CREATING CERTAIN HIGH PAYING PROGRAM. THIS BILL CREATES WOULD ALLOW PRO-SPORTS JOBS TO BE ADDED TO THAT MIX. IT WOULD BE A VERY SIMILAR CONCEPT FOR PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM. ONLY THE LOOK-BACK PERIOD WOULD BE LONGER MEANING YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE JOBS YOU CREATE FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ALREADY HEAR THE THUNDER WOULD ALSO QUALIFY FOR THE PROGRAM.
HE FILED THE NEWEST VERSION OF THE BILL TODAY WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. HE SAYS HE'S PRETTY CONFIDENT IT WILL GET ENOUGH SUPPORT TO PASS. SO REALLY, THIS IS ABOUT THINKING LONG TERM, YOU HAVE ENOUGH OF A LONG-TERM RUNWAY TO KNOW THIS IS AN INVESTMENT WE WILL MAKE. NOW. EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE OKLAHOMA CITY CITY COUNCIL APPROVED MORE FUNDING TO BUILD A NEW SOCCER STADIUM FOR THE OKC ENERGY SOCCER TEAM. JUST SOUTH BRICKTOWN. >> AND THEY SAY ABLTHE AFOT R SU.