Clouds pass over Tiger Stadium on Monday, March 20, 2023, on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge (Matthew Perschall/Louisiana Illuminator)
Cashless concession stands at college football stadiums could soon be a thing of the past under a bill advancing in the Louisiana Legislature.
The House Education Committee Tuesday advanced House Bill 5 by Rep. Charles Owen, R-Rosepine, which would require public colleges and universities to accept cash at events, including sporting events. The bill passed on a 11-2 vote, with Reps. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge, and Kim Carver, R-Mandeville, opposing the bill.
Most college sporting venues have gone cashless in the past few years, inconveniencing some attendees, primarily teenagers and older fans who primarily rely on cash in their day-to-day lives.
“We have these big events where families may have to save up a lot of money to go get a ticket to go to a ballgame or to a concert or to a speaking event or something like that… but when they get there they want to buy some water or a hamburger or a T-shirt with and they can’t use their cash,” Owen told committee members.
Some universities have raised concerns with the bill.
Lenny Kopowski, a lobbyist representing the University of New Orleans Foundation, said UNO opposes the bill.
Kopowski said UNO athletics switched to cashless facilities after somebody stole $3,600 in cash from the athletic department. The university would consider withdrawing its opposition to the bill if it permitted just some concession stands to accept cash or instead required reverse ATMs, which allow somebody to deposit cash and receive a temporary debit card. Such ATMs are common at professional sports venues that are cashless.
LSU reported in a fiscal note that Owen’s bill could lead to a $75,000 annual loss of revenue for its third-party game day vendors and could slow down concession lines.
Owen’s bill will next be discussed by the full House of Representatives.
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by Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator
April 9, 2024
by Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator
April 9, 2024
Cashless concession stands at college football stadiums could soon be a thing of the past under a bill advancing in the Louisiana Legislature.
The House Education Committee Tuesday advanced House Bill 5 by Rep. Charles Owen, R-Rosepine, which would require public colleges and universities to accept cash at events, including sporting events. The bill passed on a 11-2 vote, with Reps. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge, and Kim Carver, R-Mandeville, opposing the bill.
Most college sporting venues have gone cashless in the past few years, inconveniencing some attendees, primarily teenagers and older fans who primarily rely on cash in their day-to-day lives.
“We have these big events where families may have to save up a lot of money to go get a ticket to go to a ballgame or to a concert or to a speaking event or something like that… but when they get there they want to buy some water or a hamburger or a T-shirt with and they can’t use their cash,” Owen told committee members.
Some universities have raised concerns with the bill.
Lenny Kopowski, a lobbyist representing the University of New Orleans Foundation, said UNO opposes the bill.
Kopowski said UNO athletics switched to cashless facilities after somebody stole $3,600 in cash from the athletic department. The university would consider withdrawing its opposition to the bill if it permitted just some concession stands to accept cash or instead required reverse ATMs, which allow somebody to deposit cash and receive a temporary debit card. Such ATMs are common at professional sports venues that are cashless.
LSU reported in a fiscal note that Owen’s bill could lead to a $75,000 annual loss of revenue for its third-party game day vendors and could slow down concession lines.
Owen’s bill will next be discussed by the full House of Representatives.
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Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com. Follow Louisiana Illuminator on Facebook and Twitter.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
Piper Hutchinson is a reporter for the Louisiana Illuminator. She has covered the Legislature and state government extensively for the LSU Manship News Service and The Reveille, where she was named editor in chief for summer 2022.
Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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The Louisiana Illuminator is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization with a mission to cast light on how decisions in Baton Rouge are made and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians. Our in-depth investigations and news stories, news briefs and commentary help residents make sense of how state policies help or hurt them and their neighbors statewide.
We’re part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website.
© Louisiana Illuminator, 2024
