Finally, it looks like there’s at least a chance that the State Assembly may move on legislation to legalize Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) after six years of stalling under former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver who has been dethroned after being indicted on federal corruption charges.
For the last six years, the State Senate has voted to legalize MMA only to see Silver keep it from even coming up for a vote in the Assembly, but with Silver now relegated to the back row, supporters are making a strong push to end the no-vote posture and make New York the 50th state to legalize MMA although a final decision is still far from certain.
Last Sunday (May 17), a coalition of Western New York state representatives gathered in Cheektowaga to drive their message home that legalizing MMA will have a huge economic benefit to the state and the local economy, hoping to convince their colleagues now is the time to take up the MMA bill.
Sen. Tim Kennedy (D-Buffalo) said “MMA is a wildly popular sport, with a large and loyal fan base. If legalized, people will come by the thousands to places like First Niagara Center, and the economic impact they will bring with them will be a knockout. Enough is enough—this legislation cannot stall again in the Assembly. With new leadership in place, I’m hopeful that the value of the legislation will finally be recognized, and Assembly members will finally capitalize on this opportunity to take action.”
Kennedy and Sen. Mark Panepinto (D-Buffalo), along with Democratic Assembly members Angela Wozniak and Mickey Kearns, joined Kennedy in issuing strong statements of support for the Assembly bill. They are also in favor of an additional bill to create a commission to regulate amateur MMA in the state, something strongly backed by Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame member A. J. Verel.
When the Erie County Legislature went on record last month in support of legalizing MMA, Verel issued the following statement:
“I strongly support the legalization of MMA in New York ‘State. Our organization (MMA/Hall of Fame) has and will continue to advocate for the New York State government to pass a comprehensive bill that will protect the athletes and the local economy as well as the integrity of the sport as a whole by creating a structure for the oversight of amateur MMA similar to that of USA boxing. We feel this will guide the athlete’s career from amateur into that of a professional in the safest way possible.
Legalization of MMA is also strongly backed by Assemblyman John Ceretto (R-Lewiston), a long-time supporter of the potential economic benefits to the state and Western New York, and State Sen Robert Ortt (R-North Tonawanda), who issued the following statement on Monday:
“I fully supported legalizing professional MMA when the Senate passed the bill in March, and continue to support removing the statewide ban on the sport. When an amateur MMA match was held in my hometown of North Tonawanda a couple of years ago, it was very well received by the community.”
Ortt also said legalizing MMA would help bring in tourists and spike the local economy, saying “Niagara Falls, with its casino and attractions, would especially stand to benefit from this boost.”
A recent survey by Capital has confirmed that legalizing MMA has the support of a majority of members of the Assembly including more than half of the Democrats who control which bills come to the floor. MMA is legal in 49 states but it has been illegal in New York since 1998, with opponents saying it is too violent. Supporters say professional bouts are no more violent than other sports.
While support for a vote in the Assembly seems strong, newly installed Speaker Carl Heastie said a decision on the issue is still uncertain following a recent closed-door meeting of Assembly Democrats.
