Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has called on Gov. Mike DeWine to line-item veto the $600 million in unclaimed funds approved by lawmakers for the proposed
Cleveland Browns
domed stadium in Brook Park.
Both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly approved
the state’s reconciled budget
on Wednesday, which includes
allocating $600 million in unclaimed funds
for the Browns stadium project. The budget legislation has been sent to DeWine’s desk for approval. He must decide whether to sign it or make line-item vetoes by June 30.
Yost’s letter comes on the heels of the Haslam Sports Group’s
completed purchase of 176 acres of land
in Brook Park for $76 million.
DETAILS OF THE FINANCING
The Haslam Sports Group’s plan for Brook Park
calls for a $2.4 billion domed stadium to go with a mixed-use development that is slated to cost roughly another billion. HSG, along with their development partners, have committed to invest more than $2 billion in private capital and are seeking public funding for the remainder of the bill.
Following the General Assembly’s reconciliation process, lawmakers opted for
the Ohio Senate plan
, which calls for the utilization of the state’s $3.7 billion in unclaimed funds to create a “Sports and Culture Facilities Fund.” The Browns’ $600 million “performance grant” would be paid back to the state through tax revenues generated by the stadium and mixed-use development over 16 years.
To protect the state’s investment, GOP Senate lawmakers say the Haslam Sports Group would put $50 million into escrow that could be tapped into if revenues fall short of projections. If that $50 million is used early, the Browns have also committed to providing another $50 million through a line of credit.
YOST’S OBJECTIONS
“Billionaires should finance their own stadiums—full stop,” Yost wrote to DeWine. “The $600 million handout for a single professional sports facility raises serious concerns about fiscal sustainability and fairness. While public-private partnerships can sometimes support community development, this provision risks prioritizing one private entity over more urgent statewide needs—such as lowering childcare costs to boost workforce participation or easing the property tax burdens that weigh heavily on every Ohio homeowner. Most Ohioans will never set foot in the proposed Brook Park stadium or similar venues—whether due to lack of interest, team affiliation, or the unaffordable cost of attending professional sporting events. Too often, Ohio taxpayers are left on the sidelines while the wealthiest score with public money.”
Yost specifically objects to using unclaimed funds that are at least 10 years old as of Jan. 1, 2026.
“This timeline makes Ohio an outlier nationally and risks inadvertently harming taxpayers unaware they have money in the state’s unclaimed funds,” he wrote.
Yost also raised questions about how the “Sports and Culture Facility Fund” will be able to handle the needs of Ohio’s other major sports teams in the future. “As the saying goes, if you give a mouse a cookie, they’ll want a glass of milk—public money is not the milk.”
The best option right now, according to Yost, is a “thoughtful pause” in the process.
“This is an opportunity to pause and reconsider the best way to support economic development while maintaining public trust. A thoughtful pause now would allow policymakers to explore options that are more fiscally responsible and beneficial to the 11.9 million Ohioans you and I serve,” he closed.
You can read the full letter from Yost to DeWine below.
