Posted: 3/27/02

Twins' stadium bill clears House

T.W. BUDIG
ECM capitol reporter

A Twinsí stadium bill cleared the House Monday, brightening the odds that a stadium bill may come out of this legislative session.

The House bill (HF 2214) is pattered after the Ventura Administrationís stadium proposal, using favorable interest rates and an upfront commitment of $165 million from the Minnesota Twins to finance a $330 million, roof-ready stadium.

The stadium would be owned by the metro municipality winning the site selection. The Twins, under the bill, would be committed to a 30-year lease or the terms of the bonds.

The state would issue $330 million in revenue bonds to finance stadium construction.

A combination of favorable interest rates on the investment of the $165 million from the Twins would pay part of the bonding debt service.

An additional $10 million annual payment from the Twins or the host city would cover the rest.

The House bill, now heading to conference committee, is a financially simpler bill than the recently passed Senate stadium bill, which proposes an array of user-fees or taxes to help pay for the stadium package.

But the House bill contains what some lawmakers called a ìpoison amendmentî not contained in the Senate stadium bill.

The amendment, authored by Rep. Matt Entenza, DFL, St. Paul, requires a panel of three retired court judges to make a favorable ruling on whether Major League Baseball had reformed itself economically before the stadium bonds could be issued.

But Rep. Harry Mares, R, White Bear Lake, House stadium bill author, did not see the Entenza amendment as lethal to his bill.

ìI donít think so. Baseball has started to reform already,î said Mares.

Theyíll have to talk to Major League Baseball and determine extent of their reforms, Mares explained. And itís possible negotiations in conference committee could alter the bill, Mares indicated.

Still, the House bill outlines a quick scenario for building a stadium ó an executive council making a stadium site selection by July 1.

Although the bill carries no state tax increases, it does allow the host city to raise a variety of taxes ó lodgings, liquor, food and beverages ó if approved by local voters in a referendum.

The stadium bill, which passed the House on a 80 to 52 vote, prompted some six hours of debate.

Fierce stadium critic Rep. Phil Krinkie, R, Shoreview, called the possible contraction of the Twins by Major League Baseball ìa blackmail threat by (Commissioner) Bud Selig and the rest of the owners.î

The citizens have gotten tired of the debate, said Krinkie. Thatís why the telephone calls arenít coming in as in 1997, he said.

Lawmakers should listen to the ìSilent Majorityî rather than the vocal minority pushing the stadium, said Krinkie.

Yet Rep. Dan McElroy, R, Burnsville, called the bill the best effort from the best group of minds.

ìThis bill can get a stadium built,î he said.

Local lawmakers voting in the affirmative include: Abeler, Bernardy, Haas, Jennings, Koskinen, McElroy, Ozment, Westerberg, and Wolf.

Voting against: Bruce Anderson, Eastlund, Erickson, Gerlach, Goodwin, Hackbarth, Holberg, Krinkie, Lindner, Olson, Pawlenty, Schumacher, Tingelstad, and Vandeveer.

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