As the Vikings stadium bill moves closer to becoming a done deal, the measure apparently is being caught in the gears of broader deal-making.
Mike Kaszuba of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune explains that the stadium bill essentially has become a bargaining chip for other political objectives. As to the stadium effort, Republicans are believed to be tying the final passage of the bill to Democratic Governor Mark Dayton’s “willingness to agree to business tax relief and a smaller state bond package.”
Also lingering is the funding issue, with disagreement as to whether the public contribution will come from gambling or “user fees,” with charges imposed on “tickets and stadium signs to the Vikings’ share of television revenue.”
It’s not clear where things will go from here. The legislative session is due to end on Monday night, but it can be extended.
Plenty of folks likely would prefer that it just end, one way or the other.