As a Minnesota Senate committee prepared to put the Vikings stadium bill to its first test, Gov. Mark Dayton wrote to lawmakers to assure them the measure had his full support.
"Let me be very clear that I fully support SF 2391 proposed financing plan for the stadium," the DFL Dayton said in a letter to the Senate committee chair and other lawmakers. "Anyone who says otherwise is speaking without my authorization and is seriously misrepresenting my position. Furthermore, everyone trying to dismantle this proposal, without offering a better one, is clearly trying to defeat the bill."
The letter came as there was uncertainty as to whether the bill had enough vote to pass the Local Government and Elections Committee, where it will be heard Wednesday afternoon.
In the letter he said the projected revenue from expanded gaming in bars and restaurants, which the stadium proposal uses to pay for the state's share of the new football home, is based on solid numbers. Skeptics of those numbers abound at the Capitol and among charities, which could also benefit from the new gambling venues.
The governor brushed off those doubts.
"I believe it is sound, reliable, and sufficient to finance the state's share of this project," Dayton said of the revenue.
For live coverage of the Wednesday 1 p.m. hearing on the stadium, follow reporter Jennifer Brooks on Twitter at @stribrooks.
Here's Dayton's letter:
