Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has been having a hard time in the Florida legislature.
Last year, his effort to procure legislation that would allow Miami-Dade County residents to vote on a potential tax increase for stadium renovations died in the Sunshine State’s lawmaking body. This year, Ross submitted an anti-bullying bill. As explained by Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, it’s headed for the same fate.
The Dolphins don’t seem to be as upset about this year’s developments as they were last year, when the team claimed that Speaker of the House Will Weatherford reneged on a promise to bring the stadium proposal to the floor for a vote.
“There were some concerns that were raised to us about some aspects of the implementation,” Dolphins lobbyist Ron Book said. “By the time we reworked it, time had just really run out. With all the meaningful changes in law, it sometimes takes more than one year to get there. In this case, it was exactly that situation.”
The bill incorporated suggestions from researchers at NYU aimed at stopping bullying. Ross championed the cause in the wake of the 2013 bullying scandal that rocked the franchise and the rest of the NFL.
As to the stadium situation, Ross has decided to proceed on his own. As to the bullying proposal, there’s no viable alternative to patience.