A lawsuit is now targeting Santa Clara's ballot measure to ask voters about building a 49ers stadium.
If Santa clara voters approve Measure J on June 8, officially called the Santa Clara Stadium taxpayer Protection and Economic Progress Act, the city plans to put up to $75 million toward building the stadium.
Our friends at the Examiner tell us the suit, filed by Deborah Bress, aims to strike the measure from the ballot or force the city to change its title and ballot language.
Santa Clara officials strongly support the measure, which would facilitate the team's move from its longtime home of Candlestick Park to a new as-yet-built stadium next Great America theme park for the 2014 season. The team is already comfortably seated in the city for training and administration.
Opponents criticize the planned use of public money to build a stadium for a privately owned football franchise. The lawsuit says the city is low-balling the estimate on how much money it would contribute.
Even if the measure is approved and the the team starts playing their games in Santa Clara, they would remain the San Franciso 49ers. Who would cheer for the the NFL's "Santa Clara 49ers," anyway?
