Stadium Blog Post

May 9, 2006
Star Tribune
Mike Kaszuba

With time running short in the legislative session, the Senate this week is expected to consider plans for new stadiums for the Twins, Vikings and the University of Minnesota football team.

The Senate plan envisions building the Twins and Vikings stadiums using a half-cent metrowide sales tax, which would be subject to a referendum.

The Senate plan would pay for the university’s campus stadium in part with a 13 percent tax on all sports memorabilia.

Key votes
Referendum: The Twins-Vikings stadium bill calls for the referendum, but an attempt to remove the requirement is expected. The Twins insist they will not build a new stadium if there is a referendum.

Metrowide sales tax: The Twins proposed building a stadium using only a sales-tax increase in Hennepin County. The Vikings wanted a sales- tax increase only in Anoka County. A move to go back to those narrower taxes is likely, as is an attempt to financially separate the two stadium proposals.

Memorabilia tax: Republican senators may try to remove the tax proposal, which Gov. Tim Pawlenty has said he would veto.

Key players

Sen. Dean Johnson, majority leader: If all parts of the Senate plan passes, it will be because the Willmar DFLer held together his party’s 38-29 majority and delivered the votes. Johnson, however, has said he will vote to remove the referendum requirement from the Twins-Vikings bill.

Sen. Steve Kelley: He’s the architect of the metrowide sales-tax plan to provide money for the Twins and Vikings stadiums as well as transit. The Hopkins DFLer is running for governor.

Sen. Dick Day: As the Senate minority leader, the Owatonna Republican is a stadium supporter but a leading critic of Kelley’s plan and of the majority’s maneuvers to bring it to the floor.

Stadium plan scorecard

GOPHERS

Senate
The $248 million stadium plan includes the memorabilia tax and commits the state to a $12.9 million annual contribution over 25 years, but calls for no student fee increase, land swap with the state or naming rights agreement.

House
The 50,000-seat stadium would largely be built with $235 million in state contributions over 25 years through a land swap with the university, plus a $50-a-year student fee and a $35 million naming rights agreement with TCF.

Governor
Pawlenty supports the House plan and has said he would veto the Senate's memorabilia tax.

To read more, go to http://www.startribune.com/587/story/420336.html