A proposed class action lawsuit is moving forward. It goes after Ohio Republicans for their terrible plan to use public money to build a new domed stadium for the Cleveland Browns. The funding plan would theorize on the future use of money that would never be claimed by state residents. Legal experts say this punitive approach runs afoul of state and federal constitutional protections.
Former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann and former Ohio State Representative Jeffrey Crossman are the driving force behind the lawsuit. They filed it with the Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Monday. It stands in for three individual named Ohio residents. The aim is to ensure that all people with unclaimed money in the state treasury as of June 30, 2025 are protected. Plaintiffs request a permanent injunction from the court to stop the funding plan.
The state’s rather modest two-year operating budget totals $60 billion. Additionally, it directs more than $1 billion in unclaimed funds to establish the Ohio Cultural and Sports Facility Performance Grant Fund. Out of this fund, $600 million is set aside as the initial grant for the Cleveland Browns’ new stadium project. Yet this proposal has faced major backlash, including from the now Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
In truth, Yost has consistently spoken out against the appropriation of unclaimed funds as a stadium financing mechanism. He has been calling on Governor Mike DeWine to veto the proposal. As Yost says, repurposing these funds is a huge disservice to the people of Ohio who have a right to their financial resources.
Cleveland has been the loudest critic of this funding approach. The city has argued that it would be detrimental to the quality of life for its existing residents. How unclaimed funds are used has led to a passionate discussion on fiscal discipline and transparency in government budgeting.
This legal challenge is moving at lightning speed. It poses important questions about the ethical use of taxpayer dollars and the rights of residents in relation to their unclaimed property. If successful, the lawsuit would affect how the Browns’ new stadium is financed. It could set positive precedents for future funding efforts that include more public-private partnerships.
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