Capitol Chatter: Conflicting information slows stadium agreement

ST. PAUL -- Trying to agree on how to fund a new Vikings football stadium is hard enough, but legislators and Gov. Mark Dayton also must deal with trying to find the facts.

It’s not that anyone is lying, but everyone is trying to spin their side of the story.

Vikings officials keep hamming home the point that the $425 million they pledge for a $1.1 billion stadium in Arden Hills would be the third largest team contribution ever to a National Football League stadium.

On the other hand, the stadium team owner Zygi Wilf wants would be the third most expensive, too. The average cost for new or extensively renovated stadiums since 1997 is $525 million.

Also, Wilf and his family actually would not put up all of the $425 million. The NFL may loan owners part of the money, and with other non-Wilf funds the team’s contribution may be closer to $200 million.

Then there is the possibility of the stadium ending up in Minneapolis, not where Wilf wants it. If that is the case, Vikings Vice President Lester Bagley often has said the team will contribute less, but he will not say how much less.

Speaking of Minneapolis, Mayor R.T. Rybak in recent weeks has pushed keeping the Vikings in his downtown, and appeared to receive some legislative support. But in his first talk to the City Council about it on Thursday, he received what could be called less than overwhelming support for his Vikings plan, which would gut and rebuilt the Metrodome for about $200 million less than the Arden Hills facility.

And there is the possibility of the team moving if state leaders fail to approve a new stadium. NFL officials have said that is a possibility and Bagley admitted for the first time on Tuesday that other communities are interested.

Still, Bagley says the Vikings want to stay in Minnesota, but he loudly complains that the team would be the only one without a stadium lease once it runs out Feb. 1. He will not say what will happen if there is no lease or new stadium agreement.

Senate Taxes Chairwoman Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen, clearly ended several hours of hearings over two days with more questions than answers on these and other stadium questions.

Now, talks go back behind closed doors where a working group of legislators and Dayton aides will continue to try to find the answers and produce a plan by late this month or early January.

White Earth offer

A proposal by the White Earth Tribal Nation took people looking for Vikings stadium funding by surprise.

Chairwoman Erma Vizenor suggested allowing White Earth to build a casino near the proposed Arden Hills stadium and the tribe would provide enough money from gambling profits to fund stadium construction.

“I don’t understand enough about it,” Gov. Mark Dayton said when asked for a comment, but he added that he appreciates the offer.

Other tribes will oppose the plan, but that may not matter much in a Republican-dominated Legislature that is not overly concerned about protecting current tribal casinos.

Vizenor’s idea is an offshoot of a plan she and Red Lake leaders proposed during the Gov. Tim Pawlenty administration to open a joint Twin Cities casino.

White Earth has a casino, but it is far less profitable than those in or near the Twin Cities.

Biofuels vote wanted

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., wants to extend tax credits for biofuels such as ethanol and other alternative source.

“From biofuels to wind power to solar energy, alternative energy industries are creating good jobs and boosting local economies across Minnesota,” Klobuchar said. “Extending these critical tax credits will help strengthen our state’s clean energy businesses so they can continue to grow and thrive.”

Klobuchar and others wrote a letter to Senate leaders asking that the tax credits be prevented from expiring.

Small business help

Small Minnesota businesses may get financial and technical help under a new program that focuses on aiding firms to increase foreign sales.

More than $450,000 is available, the Department of Employment and Economic Development says.

The Minnesota Trade Office and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture will use the money to prepare companies that are not now exporting their products to get into foreign markets.

"The revenue and jobs that exports create here at home are extremely important to Minnesota's economic health and well-being," said DEED Commissioner Mark Phillips. "Last year, state exports of manufactured goods, agricultural commodities and services totaled $31 billion and were responsible for an estimated 115,000 jobs."

In coming months, state officials plan to lead trade missions to India, China, Germany, Russia and Canada. The big trip is to be a Gov. Mark Dayton-led China trade mission in the spring or summer, making up for one he canceled due to this year’s budget dispute.

No insider trading

A Minnesota lawmaker wants to stop Minnesota legislators from using any inside knowledge to gain money.

Rep. Joe Atkins, DFL-Inver Grove Heights, said he plans to introduce legislation to prohibit state insider trading.

“I just always assumed we had a law against insider trading by a member of the Minnesota Legislature, but we don’t,” Atkins said.

While a similar debate rages in Congress, Atkins said he has heard of no problem in Minnesota but wants to make sure.

“I think our constituents would be shocked to find out we can take confidential information gained at the Capitol and use it to make money in the stock market or on land deals if we want to,” Atkins said. “Right now, it is perfectly legal under Minnesota law, and there is nothing in our ethics rules to prevent it either.”

Senators can joke

Sen. Doug Magnus was in front of the Capitol press corps praising the state’s new-found status of being free of bovine tuberculosis when he decided he needed to explain that he understands cattle.

“I fed cattle all my life until I had a temporary loss of senses and ran for office,” the Slayton Republican said.

That followed by a day Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria, telling a Senate committee: “It was a little tough getting out of the deer stand and come down here.”

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