Lawmakers debate Hartsfield-Jackson’s tax-exempt status

There’s a heated battle surrounding state legislation to remove the tax exemption status from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport officials claim the additional tax funds they generate benefit their partners. But Clayton County officials say the county should’ve been getting paid the whole time. We hear from Rep. Sandra Scott (D-Rex) and Sen. Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta) on the matter.

ATLANTA – Turbulence is building under the Gold Dome with Atlanta’s airport at the center of a tax fight.

What they’re saying:

Rep. Rhonda Burnough (D-Riverdale) and Rep. Sandra Scott (D-Rex), who represent Clayton County, are sponsoring a bill to end a long-standing tax exemption for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

While most of the airport sits in Clayton County, the city of Atlanta hasn’t paid county property taxes for roughly 80 years.

Burnough estimates the proposed change could generate an estimated $50 million annually for Clayton County and nearby cities, funding she argues is long overdue.

“It’s about the residents of Clayton County getting what they deserve so that we can have money for sustainability,” Burnough said.” That’s the keyword, sustainability. We have that money. We will be able to sustain our county.”

The other side:

The proposal is facing strong opposition from members of the Atlanta delegation in the House and Senate.

Opponents warn that the change would do more harm than good and say Hartsfield reinvests its revenue in operations and economic development, benefiting the entire state.

“No other major airport in this country pays a property tax,” said Sen. Sonya Halpern (D-Atlanta), “not a single one. When you change the economic cost structure of an airport this size, there are downstream consequences.”

What’s next:

The bill could come up for a vote in the House this week.

Colorado Avalanche (41-10-9) @ Dallas Stars (38-14-9) 

6 p.m. MT | American Airlines Center | Watch: Altitude, Altitude+ | Listen: Altitude Sports Radio (92.5 FM) 

After a back-to-back against a pair of Pacific Division teams from Southern California, the Avalanche travels to Texas to face the Dallas Stars in a Central Division showdown. This is the second of four meetings between the teams this season, as the Stars won 5-4 in a shootout in Denver on October 11th and the teams will play again on March 18th in Colorado and on April 4th in Dallas. 

Latest Result (COL): COL 5, ANA 1 

Latest Result (DAL): DAL 6, CGY 1 

Winning in Anaheim 

Nathan MacKinnon recorded his fourth-consecutive 100-point season and Parker Kelly scored twice to help the Avalanche defeat the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 at Honda Center on Tuesday. Cale Makar posted a goal and two assists while Martin Necas and Gabriel Landeskog each scored for the second-consecutive day. In net for the Avs, Scott Wedgewood stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced. Makar opened the scoring at 11:33 of the first period with his 18th goal of the season via a left-circle shot. Colorado doubled its lead on the power play at 14:05 of the first period when Necas scored his 27th goal of the season via a one-timer from the top of the left circle set up by Brock Nelson’s cross-ice feed. With the secondary assist on the goal, Makar recorded the 200th power-play point of his career (43g/157a). At 4:50 of the second period, Cutter Gauthier put the Ducks on the board with a right-circle one-timer. Kelly gave the Avs a 3-1 lead at 15:03 of the second period with his 14th goal of the season via a shot from the top of the left circle. The Avalanche took a 4-1 lead when Landeskog scored his ninth goal of the season via a one-timer off the rush from the high slot set up by MacKinnon, who recorded his 100th point of the season with the assist. MacKinnon also set a franchise record for the fewest games in franchise history to reach 100 points (59). Kelly made it a 5-1 game at 10:06 of the third period with his second goal of the game and 15th of the season via a left-circle one-timer set up by Jack Drury. 

Leading the Way 

Nate the Great 

MacKinnon leads the NHL in goals (41), ranks second in points (100) and third in assists (59). 

All Hail Cale 

Among NHL defensemen, Makar is third in points (64), fourth in assists (46) and tied for fourth in goals (18). 

Marty Party 

Necas is tied for eighth in the NHL in points (72). 

Series History 

In 115 previous regular-season games against the Stars, the Avalanche has a record of 55-40-8-12. The teams have played in seven playoff series, in addition to a seeding round-robin contest in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Picking Up Two Points in Calgary 

The Stars defeated the Calgary Flames 6-1 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday. In the first period, Dallas’ Sam Steel opened the scoring at 8:44, Calgary’s Morgan Frost tied the game at 9:52 and Jamie Benn gave the Stars a 2-1 lead at 11:54. Mavrik Bourque scored to give the Stars a 3-1 lead at 2:26 of the second period and Steel made it 4-1 at 6:02 of the middle frame. Dallas took a 6-1 lead after Nathan Bastian scored at 8:48 of the middle frame and Wyatt Johnston added a power-play tally at 19:41 of the second period.  

Scoring Against the Stars 

MacKinnon has posted 48 points (18g/30a) in 45 regular-season games against the Stars, in addition to 29 points (14g/15a) in 21 playoff contests. 

Makar has recorded 20 points (5g/15a) in 19 regular-season contests against Dallas, along with 20 points (7g/13a) in 21 playoff games. 

Landeskog has registered 31 points (16g/15a) in 35 regular-season games against the Stars, in addition to 10 points (3g/7a) in 12 playoff contests. 

Tallying Points in Texas 

Jason Robertson leads the Stars in goals (34) and points (72) while ranking third in assists (38). 

Johnston is second on the Stars in goals (33), third in points (65) and fourth in assists (32). 

Miro Heiskanen is second on the Stars in assists (43) and fifth in points (50). 

A Numbers Game 

4 

MacKinnon’s four 100-point seasons are the most in Avalanche history (since 1995-96), and his four-consecutive such campaigns are the second most in franchise history, behind Peter Stastny (six). 

5 

Nelson’s five game-winning goals on the road are tied for the most in the NHL this season. 

83.5% 

Colorado’s 83.5% mark on the penalty kill is the third best in the NHL. 

Quote That Left a Mark 

“It’s great. I think the St. Louis game [on] New Year’s Eve (Colorado won 6-1) then Carolina (Colorado won 5-3) we were playing really really well and then he (Landeskog) got hurt the next night against Florida (Colorado lost 2-1). It seems like a long time ago now, but he was playing great before then. I feel like every week he’s getting better and better. It’s a long time to be off. I think [in the] playoffs he was amazing, but it’s a lot of adrenaline. But, he’s getting his timing back. His shot looks really good. He’s had a couple good one-[timers] last couple nights. So, he’s a pleasure to play with. He always has been, for sure.” 

— Nathan MacKinnon on playing on a line with Gabriel Landeskog

PHILADELPHIA — Eagles general manager Howie Roseman set the expectations for NFL free agency during a pre-combine session with local reporters in late February.

“From a big-picture perspective, we want to build a team that every year has a chance to compete for championships, that drafts really well and signs their own players, and just sporadically goes into free agency. That’s what we’re trying to do. And sometimes as much as you want to add from outside and you want to change it up, you’ve got to make a decision to keep the players you know, have played well and are part of your culture,” he said.

Nobody likes a splash move more than Roseman — and given his history, it would be foolish to rule one out — but he was setting the stage for a start to the league year on March 11 that will likely be more steak than sizzle from a player-signing standpoint.

It’s the reality for a team that has crushed it in the draft over recent years.

Consider the hit rate in Rounds 1 through 3 from 2021 to 2024.

All of them turned into starters. Three (DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens) have signed sizable second contracts with the Eagles, and Williams cashed in last offseason with a megadeal from the New England Patriots, the Eagles opting not to pay that price because of their depth at the position.

Georgia brethren in Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith Jr., Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis are all eligible for extensions now while the dynamic secondary duo in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean will be eligible after the 2026 season.

The Eagles also have a number of quality players from their stacked roster poised to hit free agency in the coming days, including edge Jaelan Phillips, Dean, safety Reed Blankenship and tight end Dallas Goedert.

That’s a whole lot of financial considerations for a team that already has much invested in stars such as Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown, along with its offensive line.

“Can we keep all our guys considering we have, for example, a lot of key defensive players coming off rookie deals in next few years? No, we are going to have to make choices,” Roseman said.

The expectation here is Philadelphia will make a push to re-sign Phillips.

Acquired from the Miami Dolphins before the November trade deadline in exchange for a 2026 third-round draft pick, Phillips helped solidify Philly’s defense over the second half of the season and finished with two sacks, seven QB hits, four passes defensed and four tackles for loss. He was a disruptor against the run and pass, a must for an edge player in Vic Fangio’s scheme.

Phillips is just 26, plays a premium position and has proved to be a system and culture fit, checking boxes the Eagles look for before writing a big check. His injury history could keep his numbers down, but there should be a healthy market for his services. It is yet to be seen whether his value exceeds the Eagles’ walkaway number.

Dean has been a strong player in the middle of the defense when healthy, not to mention a leader for that unit, but could be on the move with Zack Baun and last year’s first-round pick Jihaad Campbell occupying two of the primary linebacker slots. Goedert took a pay cut to stay in Philadelphia last season. If he’s going to cash in on his 11-touchdown season in 2025, the most likely scenario appears to be him doing so elsewhere. Similarly, it’s fair to wonder whether Blankenship will remain within the front office’s price range.

Depending on how these scenarios shake out, the Eagles will have more incentive to add at tight end and safety — two positions that were thin last season even with Blankenship and Goedert in the fold. Philadelphia will have opportunities in free agency and April’s draft to address those needs.

The other spot that stands out is offensive line. The group underperformed last season, largely due to injury. Some uncertainty followed with Lane Johnson and Dickerson both contemplating retirement this offseason. A smart play would be to bolster their depth in the trenches with modest signings in free agency and be on the lookout for eventual long-term replacements at guard and tackle through the draft.

Roseman noted that with the continual rise in the league’s salary cap, teams have done a good job of late retaining their own players. The effect is fewer difference-makers who reach free agency.

That’s all the more reason to focus on their draft, develop and re-sign model, which has served them well in recent years.

“That doesn’t mean that we can’t do splashy things, but from a broad perspective, if we can keep our players, if we can keep a lot of these young, really good players that we know that we live with, so we know who they are as people, and then it’s like a cake, it’s like a layer cake,” Roseman said. “Then you build on top of it with more good draft picks and more good young players, and then the cycle starts again.”