Lawmakers debate final version of stadium bill for Minnesota Vikings - NFL News
Lawmakers on Wednesday continued to inch closer to approving the state subsidy for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium in Minneapolis.
A final version of the bill is currently being debated which will then be voted on by representatives of both the Minnesota House and Senate after which it will then go to governor, Mark Dayton’s office for his signature.
Signature of the bill from the governor is set in stone as Dayton has been the main champion of the bill throughout its slow progress in the State Capitol. However, it remains to be seen whether the House and Senate lawmakers approve the final shape of the
bill.
Recent developments has seen the bill increase the Vikings share in the new stadium by $ 50 million to bring the total cost the Vikings have to privately fund to $ 477 million.
This move will bring down the State’s share to $ 348 million while the city council will stump up a further $ 150 million.
The increase is a compromise between House and Senate lawmakers.
The House early this week approved a bill which asked the Vikings to pay $ 105 million more towards the cost while a day later the Senate increased the franchise’s share by $ 25 million in its own bill.
It is debatable whether the franchise will accept the 50 million dollar increase in their contribution but lawmakers have stated that the bill will go to a vote whether the team approves it or not.
Morrie Lanning one of the bill’s backers in the House said.
"We knew we had to drive a hard bargain and we drove a hard bargain," he said.
Approval of the bill is expected to come shortly and this will be the final step in the Vikings long running quest for the development of a new stadium.
This year the franchise finally had the leverage to push hard for a new stadium as their lease to use the Metrodome stadium expired.
The franchise will play the 2012-13 season at their current home but will not be renewing the lease at the stadium.
The new stadium will be developed at the current location of the Metrodome and will have a total cost of $ 975 million.
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