Jake Lowary

USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

What was expected to be a smooth passage of a measure to help Nashville's bid to lure a Major League Soccer team quickly became a political debate about tax incentives and where that money goes.

The bill, HB0006, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, was expected to sail through the House floor vote on Thursday — which it ultimately did, 87-2 — but not before a half-hour debate between Williams and Rep. Jerry Sexton, R-Bean Station, over the state's sales tax revenue and where the money would go.

In fact, there is no diversion of sales tax revenue yet. Nashville would have to get the bid for the MLS team first, and then the sales tax revenue from those events would be diverted to the Metro Sports Authority, a public entity that manages contracts with the other professional sports teams in Nashville, the Tennessee Titans and Predators.

"It's a forbearance of future tax revenue," Williams said to Rep. Joe Pitts, D-Clarksville, who also asked about the bill.

"For instance, if you were to buy a hamburger at the stadium, a portion of the purchase of that hamburger has sales tax associated with it. Instead of that sales tax being collected as a retailer would and being sent back to the state and locals, it would be housed in the Sports Authority for a period of time to offset the cost of the stadium," Williams said.

The bill puts in place of a necessary mechanism to help the city and the team maintain the stadium and offer incentives to lure such teams. Such arrangements are commonplace with almost any professional sports team, and the state has already developed similar plans when it lured the Titans, Predators and Memphis Grizzlies.

Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, asked rhetorical questions of Williams about the other teams, which includes minor league baseball teams as well, he noted.

Sexton said he was not familiar with any arrangements and wanted to know why a "special privilege" was being offered to a pro sports team when those same privileges aren't offered to businesses. He also asked if the sports team was "holding us hostage" over sales tax revenue.

"Absolutely not," Williams said.

Williams, the chair of House Republican Caucus, said sales tax revenue is given to other departments throughout the state that are then distributed through grant programs and other programs that benefit everyone in the state.

Sexton said he felt like "some parties" were getting favorable treatment in the legislature and suggested there is a sort-of caste system that favors some members over others.

WATCH THE FULL HOUSE SESSION BELOW

Jake Lowary covers Tennessee politics and state government for the USA Today Network. Reach him at 615-881-7039 or follow him on Twitter @JakeLowary.