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Repub­li­can Sen. Patrick Testin has intro­duced leg­is­la­tion that would require the “Star Span­gled Ban­ner” to be played at sport­ing events held in are­nas that are fund­ed by tax­pay­er dol­lars. Sev­er­al venues would be impact­ed, includ­ing Lam­beau Field, Amer­i­can Fam­i­ly Field, and the Fis­erv Forum.

“Hear­ing the “Star Span­gled Ban­ner” at a sport­ing event reminds us that despite our dif­fer­ences, we have some­thing in com­mon – we are Amer­i­cans,” said Sen. Testin. “This tra­di­tion traces its roots back more than a cen­tu­ry – even pre-dat­ing the song’s adop­tion as the nation­al anthem. It’s a prac­tice that unites us, and I believe it’s worth preserving.”

In a state­ment, he said vet­er­ans groups in Wis­con­sin, includ­ing the Wis­con­sin Amer­i­can Legion and VFW Depart­ment of Wis­con­sin, have expressed sup­port for the bill.