While Gov. Nathan Deal says he’s not ready yet to commit to the idea of a new stadium in Atlanta, he says it’s going to be an even tougher sell to state legislators.

“I think the real selling has to be as to whether or not we need a new stadium… and that’s something that I think the Falcons have to be able to explain to a broader audience than has been involved in the decision making process, namely the members of the General Assembly,” he told reporters at the Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators in Athens.

Lawmakers must sign off on raising the cap that the Georgia World Congress Center Authority can borrow in the form of bonds against the city of Atlanta’s hotel/motel tax.  The amount would increase from $200 million to $300 million and cover approximately a third of the costs for the new stadium.

Deal points out that no state tax dollars will go to fund it and the hotel/motel tax is largely paid for by tourists.

“I think one of the things that the public may not understand at this point is that the money that will be used to repay those bonds is not money that would be going into the state treasury, this is money that would be going into the city of Atlanta or Fulton County,” he says.

 Sen. Donzella James (D-Atlanta) is a season ticket holder for the Falcons and says she’s still not sure how she will vote on the issue.

She tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish she’s explained to her constituents that tax dollars won’t be spent on the stadium, but so far they’re not convinced.

“They still see their almighty dollars going toward it as well, and so we have to convince them or they have to convince me that it’s not going to happen and then I’ll share it with the people who are my constituents,” says James.

Senate President Pro Tem David Shafer (R-Duluth) says if voters wouldn’t support a penny sales tax for transportation, he doubts they would support a tax to build a stadium.

“You have to look at the TSPLOST and see that people were not willing to spend an extra penny to build roads which are clearly needed, so that does give you some pause about their willingness to support construction of other infrastructure,” he says.