Hot Topics

Want to Pay a Tax on Twins and Wild Jerseys to Pay for Vikings Stadium?

Minnesota legislators are debating a new sales tax on licensed clothing, sports memorabilia and luxury suites to cover the state's share of Vikings stadium construction costs.

Do you want to pay sales tax on Twins, Wild and Timberwolves sports memorabilia and licensed clothing to help the State of Minnesota raise money to build the new Vikings stadium? E-pulltab revenues to fund the new Minnesota Vikings stadium have fallen short, so the Minnesota House of Representatives Taxes Committee is considering a new tax on sales of sports-related items to help fill the gap. Watch the House committee debate the issue at its Wednesday meeting starting at 12:30 p.m. above or at TheUpTake.org. The bill (see PDF) by Rep. Ann Lenczewski (DFL-Bloomington) would tax "'Sports memorabilia' ... items available for sale to the public that are sold under a license granted by any professional sports league or a team that is a …

•  5 Comments
• Photos (6)
• Documents (1)

Teen Dies, Honeywell Helps and Development On Again: Pick of Our Patches

This week's selection includes a new member of the Vikings Stadium committee, raising funds for cancer research and a runner who won't be going to the Olympics.

St. Michael Girl, 16, Collapses, Dies After Sunday Morning Run First-responders, including the Wright County Sheriff's Department, St. Michael Fire Department and Allina Ambulance, were called to a tragic scene Sunday morning along County Road 119 in St. Michael. Michaela Olson, 16, collapsed to the pavement and later died after a morning run near Gutzwiller Park.  Honeywell Sends Aid to Colorado Fire Victims In an effort to help those effected by the wildfires burning in Colorado, the Golden Valley based company is sending donations to those in need. UPDATE: Ron Clark Changes Mind On Optioned Land Yet another twist in Pillsbury Commons' epic story. Just hours after the City of Richfield confirmed the option agreement was void, the …

• Photos (4)

Southwest City Councilmembers Split on Vikings Vote

Pro-forma final passage of deal expected on Friday.

Thursday afternoon, the Minneapolis City Council voted to approve its portion of a deal that sends nearly a half-billion dollars into a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings. Southwest Minneapolis' councilmembers were evenly split on the vote—Elizabeth Glidden (Ward 8) and Betsy Hodges (Ward 13) voted against, and John Quincy (Ward 12) and Meg Tuthill (Ward 10) voted to approve. Their positions had been known for some time, but Thursday's vote before the Council's Committee of the Whole was considered the final gate before city, state, and Vikings negotiators begin hammering out the nitty-gritty details in how the stadium gets built. Unless one supportive councilmember changes their mind at the last minute, Thursday's 7-6 vote is expected …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Minneapolis Could Charge Sales Tax on Vikings Tix

Provision is part of stadium deal that City Council votes on next week.

(POLL) Are You Happy to See the Vikings Get a New Stadium?

The plan was approved by the Senate on Thursday.

With Senate approval coming on Thursday by a 36-30 vote, a new Minnesota Vikings stadium is on its way. After plenty of twists and turns throughout the legislative session, debate intensified this week, as the House and Senate both held several late-night sessions to discuss the bill. All that remains now is a signature from Gov. Mark Dayton, who has been an ardent stadium supporter. Dayton is holding a press conference at 5:45 p.m. today with stadium bill authors, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and team owner Zygi Wilf, and Dayton could sign the bill then. The new stadium will cost roughly $975 million, with the team slated to pay a little less than half. The state will pay about $348 million by expanding gambling. The city of Minneapolis …

•  135 Comments
• Photos (2)

SW Minneapolis Delegation Split on Vikings Vote

House passed package of state funding for new stadium, Senate to take it up Tuesday.

While he may be on the way towards seeing his Vikings stadium dream come true, it looks like Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak couldn't sway at least two of his Southwest Minneapolis constituents with promises of lower property taxes. In Monday night's state House vote to aprove public funding for a new Minnesota Vikings Stadium, DFL Reps. Frank Hornstein and Susan Allen joined 56 of their colleagues in opposing the measure. House DFL minority leader Paul Thissen was the lone exception, voting in favor of the measure along with many fellow DFLers. The final vote was 73-56. According to WCCO reporter Pat Kessler, Hornstein told colleagues he wanted Minnesota's biggest companies to pitch in for the stadium. Stadium boosters have said the Vikings …

• Photos (1)

Vikings Plans Ready For Final Senate Vote

Senate taxes committee passed plan last night. House vote date uncertain.

REPLAY: Mayor Rybak Before MN Senate Finance Panel

The Senate Finance Committee is considering the Vikings Stadium.

Update 12:50 p.m.— This hearing is now over. We'll be posting video of Rybak's testimony as soon as it becomes available. Watch livestream video here of the Minnesota Senate Finance Committee as they wrestle with the contentious bill to publicly fund a new Minnesota Vikings The hearing Wednesday morning could be the bill's last stop before a vote on the floor of the Senate—although a hearing at the Senate Taxes Committee is a possibility. Video is courtesy of The UpTake and the Minnesota Senate.

• Photos (1)

Senate Jobs Committee OKs Vikings Stadium Proposal

After last week's defeat, the Vikings stadium appears back on track—pleasing many fans.

See a replay of the committee hearing here.  Do you think the stadium is a good investment in the state's economic future? What do you still need to know to make a good decision?

• Photos (1)