Could the Twins finally have a new ballpark?

[Timberwolf]

The Star-Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press mentioned in the front page of the paper about how the Twins and Hennepin County has come into an agreement to build a stadium adjacent to the Target Center. Carl Pholad will apparently be forking the bill to build that stadium.

I really hope this is true. I really don't want to be fooled again. I am tired of it. I really am. I hope this is it. I hope this is not a trick like you saw with that booster T. Denny Stanford who allegedly was going to build a new football stadium for the Gophers, but then changed his mind or when I keep hearing how there would be a new Newark arena for the New Jersey Nets in 2001 which turn out to be false.

Either make it official and get it done or don't bother reporting.

I want to be happy about this, but I will hold off on that till construction for that stadium is made.

I am crossing my fingers that it's a done deal.

[Durango53]

There is a ton of talk going around about it.

I am with you though until I hear something about it getting voted though are the ground breaking starts I dont know if I will believe it also.

[>TC<]

Here's the scoop: Henn. County and the Twins are combining to try and get a ballpark. The Twins put in $125 mil, the county raises the other $240 mil through a county wide sales tax increase of .15% - that amounts to 3 cents on a $20 purchase.

There are enough votes on the county board, by a 4-3 margin, to pass the proposal. Then it has to go to the legislature so the county can get approval to raise the sales tax. It looks very promising in the DFL controlled Senate, the votes seem to be there. The GOP controlled House is another story. It will definately be a fight to get the votes here. The big problem being that many representatives want this put up as a public referendum, rather than let the county board vote it in. If this happens, it's trouble.

The good news is that the Govenor says he doesn't have a problem with the county raising the money through a sales tax increase. Whether he will back it, as in going to his party members and asking them to pass it is another story.

The key to this whole deal is that they are not asking for any state funding. That should mean the out state legislators will vote for it since it doesn't mean taking money out of their districts.

The county board will take their vote next week. Then, after the state budget is passed, which could take until the last week of the session, they wil consider the proposal. Late May would be the earliest you'd see a vote.

This is the best shot they've ever had at getting this done. Keep your fingers crossed.


TC

[Timberwolf]

I want to be optimistic, but somehow, those muckety-mucks aka politicians will find a way to screw it up and if that happens, I will be really annoyed.

[Durango53]

They just said that the county passed the new ball park and that it now goes up to the state level...

[Timberwolf]

Well you knew the county would pass it since they and the Twins formed an agreement on the park.

As for the legislature, that's where I worry. It's going to be tough.

[>TC<]

The hearings went on for hours yesterday. Both sides were packing them in. Obviously, I'm prejudiced but some of these people are idiots. You can't run the government by referendum. Either nothing would get done or special interests who got their supporters out to vote would win everything.

A couple years ago the legislature gave $35 million to the Guthrie Theater to build. If they'd had a referendum on this there is no way it would have passed - but on the other hand it isn't all bad to support the arts.

If law was put to a referendum, do you think the Civil Rights Act would have survived a referendum in Alabama or other Southern states?

Legislators are put in place to make decisions for the good of the community and the people. Sometimes that means sticking up for the minorities out there, sometimes it means supporting a theater or a ballpark proposal. It all has to do with maintaining a quality of life for the people of the state. Having Pro sports in MN is part of that quality of life.

TC

[>TC<]

The leaders of the Senate and the House are predicting they have the votes to pass the ballpark legislation. If they do, it gets sent back to the County Board, where they have to vote again.

It looks like the big fights are going to be whether to have a referendum or not. If it gets through the legislature without, then there is a good chance it will pass the county board without one being added, since they have a 4-3 Pro stadium vote, as of now.


TC

[Durango53]

I hope those predictions are right....

[Timberwolf]

I am not going to hold my breath. I hope I am wrong though.

[Durango53]

The proposed Twins stadium has passed its first legislative hurdle.

The House Governmental Operations Committee voted 17-to-5 in favor of the stadium bill after a hearing that went late into the night.

The bill would let Hennepin County raise its sales tax to help pay for the $478 million stadium.

Of the committee's three members from Hennepin County, two voted against the bill and one voted in favor.

Tuesday night's action was only the first step in the long legislative process.

The proposal will next get taken up by the Local Government Committee and the bill also will have to clear the Taxes Committee before a floor vote.

The state Senate has yet to move on the proposal.