A resolution backing a plan to give Dodgers fans a stake in the ball club was approved Wednesday by the LA City Council.
Now, if the team is actually put up for sale, Congress provides necessary federal legislation, and Major League Baseball changes its policy regarding public offerings of teams, the plan can move forward.
The "Give Fans a Chance Act" was introduced in 1999 and 2001, but never approved. It was proposed again in October during divorce proceedings between team owners Frank and Jamie McCourt.
The council's resolution calls on Congress to make the ownership change possible.
"We're not demanding that it be sold to us. We're not pounding our fists on the table. It's not our style,'' president of the OwntheDodgers.com Stanley Stalford said. "What we're saying is, just please allow us the right to sit there with the billionaires and bid on our team."
It seems like an improbable scenario.
MLB rules forbid new public offerings of teams, and federal legislation is required for a public offering. If the offering succeeded, the league would still have to ok the sale to a board of directors.
Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who is running for Congress, introduced the motion. She said she is proposing that fans be allowed to invest during a public offering.
"The time is right," Hahn said. "Let's allow the fans to reconnect with their Dodgers and be one of their owners."
The Dodgers face financial problems that led Major League Baseball in April to appoint a trustee to oversee the team's finances. Commissioner Bud Selig appointed former Texas Rangers President Tom Schieffer as a trustee. Schieffer has authority over any team transaction of at least $5,000.
