A political battle fit for the gridiron is underway in Ohio, where state Republican leaders are clashing over whether to single out the Cleveland Browns for help building a new suburban domed stadium or impose tax hikes to fund stadium upgrades for the Cincinnati Bengals and other teams longer term. Neither idea is without critics in both parties, who argue that underwriting National Football League stadiums siphons money from the state's policy priorities, including funding infrastructure and public schools. The most heated debate centers on a proposal by Haslam Sports Group, which owns the Browns, to relocate from the team's existing open-air stadium on downtown Cleveland’s lakeshore — where they have played since 1999 — to a new $2.4 billion complex in Brook Park, about 15 miles (24.14 kilometers) south.