Oregon Public Broadcasting

Will the Washington State legislature help fund a Seattle Key Arena upgrade next year?

That’s the $30 million question now that the Seattle Super Sonics are heading to Oklahoma City.

$30 million is how much Sonics owner Clay Bennett would have to pay if Seattle can’t woo another NBA team. But the money is off the table if the legislature doesn’t pony up to help remodel Key Arena.

State Representative Ross Hunter is the point man on Sonics issues in the House Democratic caucus.

Ross Hunter: “If the city comes to us with a financial proposal that makes sense, I think we can have that discussion. If they come to us with a proposal to spend state money at a time when we have a two-and-a-half billion dollar budget shortfall on subsidizing professional basketball, I think that’s a non-starter.”

Hunter says it might make sense for Seattle to use revenue from a hotel-motel tax that’s currently paying for the Seattle Convention Center.

Either way, Governor Chris Gregoire says in a statement it’s time for the legislature to get to work.