The Buffalo Bills have had a very difficult time convincing city and state officials to give them money to keep the team in upstate New York. The franchise has previously toyed with a move, having played some past home games in Toronto. The state has finally made it possible for the Bills to fund their much-needed new home.

A $600 million payment from the state was approved for the 2022-23 budget. The huge sum came without any sort of public vote. According to The Buffalo News, New York Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou and others heavily criticized the publicly-subsidized stadium.

“Our public schools got less than the Buffalo Bills stadium. The climate bill, the climate project that we really wanted, also got less than the Buffalo Bills project. Is that what we stand for? This is a moment where we have to look at where our priorities are.”

The opposition was not enough to sway the vote in favor of funding. Buffalo has seen some hard times as a city. Many believe its pro sports teams, the Bills, and the NHL’s Sabres, are the only thing keeping the city alive.

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The budget passed the legislature on Saturday morning. The deadline to get a deal done was just nine days away. If something wasn’t done, the reality of the Bills looking for a new home would have set in after years of efforts to save them. Whether the residents of Buffalo like it or not, the Bills are staying put.

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Michael Perry

Michael Perry is a news contributor for Ringside News and Thirsty for News. Michael has an M.A. in Communication Technology from Point Park University in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA.

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