Senate leader open to special session
A deal between Minneapolis officials and the Minnesota Vikings is expected any day, but the Senate’s leader said if a stadium construction plan does not progress fast enough that he could see a special legislative session on the issue.
“I’m not sure we want to stay around here waiting for a stadium,” Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, said Friday.
“We’re not getting anywhere at this point,” he added.
Several reports indicate that Gov. Mark Dayton’s stadium point man, the Vikings and Minneapolis leaders are close to a deal that could be announced in days. However, it is not clear that Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who is pushing a site next to the Metrodome, can get enough City Council support to back a new stadium.
That council support is needed before a legislative bill can advance, according to Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead, who leads the House stadium efforts.
Once other major work is done, Senjem suggested, the Legislature could recess for a while to wait for a stadium bill, or it could adjourn and Dayton could call it back into session if a deal is reached.
But Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said he does not think lawmakers are willing to come back once they leave this year.
Bakk said he thinks the Legislature should end in early April, although Republican leaders talk more often about an April 30 adjournment for the year.
The Legislature can meet until May 21 under the state Constitution, but many lawmakers say they think the session will be short.
Bakk said any stadium bill will need lots of time to work its way through the process, in part because big crowds of Minnesotans are likely to show up at the many committee hearings expected on the bill.
House Minority Leader Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, said GOP leaders can get the bill through the Legislature if they want. “It’s a matter if they have the political will.”
Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton has been a big supporter of building a stadium and suggests that state funding to the project that could approach $1 billion come from allowing pull tabs and bingo games to use electronic devices. Supporters say allowing electronics will increase the take.
The Vikings wanted a northern Ramsey County location for a new stadium, but when funding plans fell through the team began talking to Minneapolis. However, City Council support has been slim.
Don Davis reports for Forum Communications Co.