Insights and trends on developing and ongoing Tucson regional business news.

Sarasota hits snag trying to lure Orioles

What’s bad for Florida, could be good for Tucson. A deal to move the Baltimore Orioles’ Spring Training to Sarasota, Fla., hit trouble when Sarasota County officials said more than $7 million that had been set aside to keep the Cincinnati Reds can’t be used to try to court the Orioles. The Reds are coming to the Cactus League next year to play in Goodyear.

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The Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority last month submitted a proposal to coax the Orioles to come here. If a team can be found to replace the Colorado Rockies in the Tucson region, it would require the Arizona Diamondbacks to live out their contract here, which goes until 2012. Otherwise, the Diamondbacks have said they intend to leave after next year.

  

Cow tipping still legal

As state lawmakers faced down the June 30 deadline to put a budget together, their attention was diverted for a bit a day earlier to a bill dealing with dog fighting that was expanded to include other animals and also make it a crime to trip a horse as apparently is done at some rodeos.

Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services reports that raised a question from Rep. Frank Antenori, R-Tucson, about cow tipping, which wasn’t included in the bill.

“So all those high school kids on Friday nights who are bored can still go cow tipping,” Antenori said.

Yes, that’s still legal in Arizona, according to a staffer.