Senate President Darrell Steinberg makes no bones about it: This legislation would prevent his town from getting stuck with a $77 million bill.  But Steinberg says he also thinks it's good public policy: Any team in any city ought to pay its debts before leaving town.

Steinberg: "It's really about making sure we protect Sacramento's public libraries, parks, police and fire services - that's what I'm concerned about."

Perhaps not surprisingly, Anaheim's state senator, Democrat Lou Correa, isn't a huge fan.  He says loan contracts already have guarantees to ensure the money gets paid back.

Correa: "If Senator Steinberg were to amend his bill to say, no taxpayer dollars should ever be used to support a private industry like a team, then I'd be interested in looking at his bill."

The measure now moves to the Senate floor.