They voted for ballpark, but can't stay for opener

It will be standing-room-only at the Minnesota Twins home opener for the Hennepin County commissioners who risked their political necks by approving financing for Target Field.

The only tickets left for the April 12 opener are about 1,000 general admission seats that the team has set aside to sell to the people involved in planning, designing and building the ballpark. Many will go to construction workers and private sector employees.

But because those tickets aren't available to the general public, state law forbids high-ranking public officials from buying them, according to a ruling released Thursday by the state Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.

The ruling won't prevent County Board Chair Mike Opat from attending; he bought season tickets just like any other fan.

But Commissioners Randy Johnson, Peter McLaughlin and Mark Stenglein are out of luck. Although they will participate in pregame ceremonies, they might be left to wander the concourses once the first pitch is thrown.

"We were assuming we had to buy a ticket, so I didn't bother to put my name in the [ticket] lottery or anything else," McLaughlin said. "It's not a big deal. It's just kind of silly."

The ballpark deal was sealed nearly five years ago when Johnson, McLaughlin, Opat and Stenglein approved a 0.15 percent countywide sales tax to build the new ballpark. The controversial vote was 4 to 3.

According to the ruling, that includes tickets to the ballpark that was built only because Hennepin County became the Twins' public financing partner.

Gary Goldsmith, the board's executive director, knows it all seems a bit, well, ungracious.

"The board struggled with the fact that they were compelled by statutes and that the [commissioners] can participate in the ceremonies but not the game," he said. "It goes against what people think is the right thing to do, but the Legislature has given us a strict statute without an exception."

The board ruled in response to a request from the Hennepin County attorney's office, which asked whether the state's gift ban -- which specifically forbids "preferential treatment for purchases" -- might not allow elected officials and administrators the chance to buy regular stadium tickets of the type ordinarily available to the public.

"We thought we had good grounds to believe there was an exception here," County Attorney Mike Freeman said. "This is a community event. This is different than flying legislative chairs to Las Vegas to watch a heavyweight fight."

Johnson, who was out of town Thursday, won't be staying for the game anyway, said aide Judy Larson. "That's the weekend they're going up north to open up the cabin and put out the dock," she said.

Stenglein said he will participate in the pregame ceremonies and hopes his kids can join him. Does he plan to attend many games this season?

"If I'm lucky enough to find someone who will take me," he cracked.