With a chance to gain a veto-proof majority in the Minnesota House, the DFL caucus is receiving nearly double the amount in campaign contributions this year that its Republican counterpart is getting.

According to the latest reports filed with the state, the House DFL caucus had received $2.4 million through Oct. 20 while the House Republican committee received $1.3 million. DFLers hold 85 seats in the 134-seat House; 90 seats would give them a veto-proof majority over Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty. All 134 House seats are on the ballot this year.

Meanwhile, Vote Yes Minnesota maintained its wide fundraising lead over opponents of the proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the state sales tax to help fund the outdoors, the environment and the arts.

The Vote Yes group raised $3.7 million through Oct. 20, according to reports filed late Monday, while the No Constitutional Tax Increase campaign had raised $57,256. A spokesman for the opponent group said the figure did not include $50,000 from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce in recent days.

The drives for and against the amendment are drawing money from many of Minnesota's leading citizens. Alida Messinger, the ex-wife of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, for example, gave $1 million to the Vote Yes campaign. Among those who contributed money to the No Constitutional Tax Increase campaign are former Republican gubernatorial candidate Wheelock Whitney and Susan Marvin, president of Marvin Windows in Warroad.

The proposed amendment would raise an estimated $300 million annually for 25 years by imposing a three-eighths of 1 percent sales tax increase.

The contributions to the DFL House caucus include money from a variety of labor unions, prominent individuals -- Messinger gave $50,000 -- and $130,700 from Education Minnesota, the 70,000-member teachers union.

Campaign contributors to House Republicans include $50,000 from the Freedom Club, a conservative, pro-business group; $21,000 from Harold Hamilton, a Coon Rapids businessman who publishes the Anoka County Watchdog, an anti-tax website, and $15,750 from the Multi Housing Political Action Committee.

The caucus campaign money on both sides has been used for targeted mailings in targeted districts as well as radio advertising for select candidates. The total doesn't include the amount candidates have raised and spent on their own.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mike Kaszuba • 651-222-1673