Rep. Morrie Lanning, the chief Vikings stadium backer in the House, said he hopes to introduce the legislation on Monday – a week after proponents initially said they would.
After Gov. Mark Dayton announced the $975 million stadium deal last Thursday, officials said they hoped to bring the bill forward early this week.
Lanning on Wednesday was vague about the bill’s chances and specific language, as lawmakers have been in the past.
“We’re working,” he told reporters after the House session had finished. “We’re working to try and resolve all of the stumbling blocks.”
Some of those stumbling blocks include whether there’s enough support to push the $398 million state portion of stadium funding through the Legislature and whether the Minneapolis City Council will vote to approve the plan for the city's share.
The first non-binding committee deadline for bills is March 16, and Lanning said he hopes to have the measure through its first committee – likely Commerce and Regulatory Reform – by then.
“I think there’s some members of that committee that are open and favorable,” he said. “I’m sure there’ll be members of that committee that won’t vote for it.”
If committees don’t resist, the bill is slated to go through the Commerce, Government Operations and Elections, Taxes and Ways and Means committees.
Lanning said expanding legal gambling to include electronic pull-tabs is still the preferred way to pay for the state’s share of the stadium, despite some opposition. He wouldn’t comment on whether there are any backup payment methods under consideration.
“You’ll have to wait and see what the bill looks like when it comes out,” he said.