A top legislator in Rhode Island condemning the idea of letting the public vote on a proposal for the Pawtucket Red Sox stadium.

The Providence Journal reports that William J. Conley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued a statement Saturday blasting the notion of a referendum.

Conley said resorting to a public vote because it's a tough decision is "a betrayal of the fundamental principles of representative democracy."

House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello had recently told the newspaper he was open to the idea of a referendum.

Conley's committee approved a proposal Tuesday providing public subsidies to help fund a new stadium for the Boston Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate.

The proposal is set for a full vote in the Senate next week before going to the House of Representatives.