So much for the thought that building a new Minnesota Vikings stadium is bringing legislators together.
Rep. Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington, has a new proposal that would not use money from Hennepin County as backup funding for the state's $398 million share of the nearly $1 billion stadium. A proposal released Sunday by House Republicans said excess sales tax money being collected by Hennepin County for the Minnesota Twins' Target Field should be a backup funding source for a Vikings stadium.
Lenczewski , the lead DFLer on the House Taxes Committee, instead has another idea for backup financing for the stadium – Use property taxes collected in Cook County and the cities of Fairmont, Blue Earth, Winnebago, Lake Crystal, Rochester, Moorhead, North Mankato, Worthington, Brooklyn Park, Preston, Lanesboro, La Crescent, Maplewood, Glenwood, Sauk Centre, Cottage Grove, Newport and St. Paul Park.
For those keeping score, many of the communities are represented by Republicans.
Fairmont is the home of Republican Sen. Julie Rosen, the chief Senate author of the stadium legislation. Moorhead is the home of Republican Rep. Morrie Lanning, the chief House author of stadium legislation. Preston is the home of Republican Rep. Greg Davids, the House Taxes Committee chair who has voiced his support for a new stadium.
