January 1, Senate Takes Up College Sports Rules Before Ohio Showdown

Wyatt’s Take

• Senate leaders are rushing to pass major college sports reforms that put real caps on name, image and likeness deals and limit endless player transfers.
• Democrats blocked a popular House bill that would protect Ohio families from higher utility bills tied to new data centers, handing Republicans a clear campaign issue.
• With midterms looming, GOP senators see a chance to force Democrats on record and deliver wins on affordability and fairness before voters head to the polls.

The Senate is poised to possibly pass by the end of this week a bill fundamentally altering money and eligibility rules in college sports.

The Senate will take a test vote on the measure on Thursday. More than 70 senators support the bill that establishes a ceiling for how much money schools can allocate to pay students for their name, image and likeness. The legislation also limits transfers and sets eligibility standards.

The Senate could pass the bill later on Thursday if there’s a time agreement.

But does the Senate really want to make college sports the punctuation point before it leaves for the midterms?

It’s possible that senators have no other choice.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune wants to do a bipartisan permitting reform bill. The legislation would deal with data centers, drilling and environmental concerns — but that bill is aspirational and not yet ready for a vote.

Thune said last night that the odds favored the Senate staying in session next week, which they were scheduled to do anyway.

What has emerged is a dispute over the Ratepayer Protection Act. That bill passed the House last week 417-3. It would defray the cost of utilities consumers must pay if they reside near data centers.

Sen. Jon Husted is one of the most vulnerable Republicans on the ballot this fall. He’s faced criticism back home for his support for data centers. So Husted asked the Senate last week to pass the House bill on the spot.

Reluctant to give Husted a win, Democrats blocked him.

Now Republicans may want to stay in session and run all of the parliamentary traps to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act. For Republicans, that’s a better exclamation point before the recess.

But look at this exchange yesterday between yours truly and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer:

Pergram: Was this blocked in the Senate last week by Democrats as an effort to prevent Senator Husted from having a win in his competitive race?

Schumer: Sen. Husted’s bill is a fraud. It’s voluntary. No company has to do it. The bill we have is mandatory. It is much stronger and is what is needed.

Republicans are sure to capitalize on the “fraud” part. You may even hear that in ads back in Ohio. Republicans will emphasize that Schumer is calling a bill which commanded 417 yeas in the House a “fraud.”

Therefore, Republicans want to get Democrats on the record about this bill. That could help lift the GOP before the midterms. And certainly Husted.

So, it’s possible that once the Senate is done with this bill, it remains in session and tackles this measure next week — finally emphasizing an affordability issue.

Wyatt Matters

Working families in the heartland expect their representatives to protect both the integrity of college athletics and the pocketbooks of everyday utility customers. When Washington stalls on popular, common-sense measures, voters notice and remember on Election Day.