CLEVELAND — This story was originally published in Ohio Capital Journal.

Two Democrats want to prohibit Ohio lawmakers from accepting free or reduced-price tickets for professional sporting events. The proposal comes on the heels of state lawmakers committing $600 million to a new multi-billion-dollar stadium for the Cleveland Browns. The owners of the team, Jimmy and Dee Haslam, are major political campaign donors.

State Reps. Sean Brennan, D-Parma, and Karen Brownlee, D-Symmes Township, argue it’s a conflict of interest for public officials to accept tickets for professional sporting events. The funding mechanism lawmakers established for the Browns is meant to help pay for other sports and cultural facilities in the future. Brennan and Brownlee’s measure creates an explicit

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