Senate panel hears progress and gaps in LA 28 Olympic and Paralympic preparations

SACRAMENTO — A California State Senate special committee heard Tuesday from state, city and county officials, the LA 28 organizing committee and tourism leaders about preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games and related international events.

The hearing, convened by Senator Allen, chair of the special committee, reviewed current planning, legacy goals and gaps in funding and coordination as California prepares to host the largest Olympic and Paralympic Games in history. "It's like putting on several Super Bowls every single day for 2 weeks," Allen said, underscoring the scale of the logistical challenge.

Why it matters: LA 28 will concentrate an unprecedented number of events, visitors and broadcast exposure in a compressed time frame across a large metropolitan region. Committee members said they want to ensure public investments produce lasting benefits rather than short-term disruption for residents, small businesses and communities near venues.

Overview of planning and financing

Reynold Hoover, chief executive officer of LA 28, told the committee that the organizing committee is a nonprofit responsible for raising private revenue to run the Games and that its operating plan depends on sponsorships, broadcast and ticket revenue. "We have a $7,100,000,000 budget," Hoover said, and he described the OCOG as raising most of that through commercial partners rather than public appropriations. Hoover said the organizing committee plans a predominantly "no-build" Games that will use existing venues and temporary facilities where needed.

Hoover described other markers of scale: more than 15,000 athletes, roughly 13 million tickets to sell, an estimated 45,000–50,000 volunteers and a planned 50‑state torch relay intended to connect communities across the U.S.

Tourism and demand risks

Ryan Becker, senior vice president for communications and strategy at VISIT California, presented research drawn from…