Commentary; Posted: 4/12/06
Sales tax dedication bills, stadium plans intermingle
T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol Reporter
The big, bad wolves for the proposed sales tax dedication for the outdoors may be professional sports stadiums.
Rep. Tom Hackbarth, R-Cedar, and Sen. Dallas Sams, DFL-Staples, are both pushing sales tax dedications this session.
Hackbarth, after seeing his legislation morph in committee from a chrysalis into a gaudy butterfly of a bill, has regained his one-eighth of one percentage point existing sales tax dedication.
(Two constitutional amendments are still fluttering about the bill like moths).
Samsí bill proposes a three-eighth of one percentage point sales tax increase for various outdoor initiatives and the arts.
Both lawmakers want their proposed constitutional amendment dedications to go before the voters in November.
But will a large number of voters be in a surly mood about sales taxes?
Enter professional sports stadiums.
Both the Twins and Vikings stadium proposals contain sales tax increases.
To help finance the proposed 42,000-seat, open air Twins ballpark in Minneapolis, the Hennepin County Board proposed a countywide sales tax increase.
It translates to about 15 cents on a $100 purchase.
To the north, the Anoka County Board also proposed a countywide sales tax to help finance a 68,000-seat, retractable-roof Vikings stadium envisioned for Blaine.
The proposed three-quarter of one percentage point sales tax increase translates to 75 cents on a $100 purchase.
Both Twins and Vikings stadium boosters seek a voter referendum exemption from the legislature. They donít want to have to hold one.
Whether voters in these two counties go to the polls in serene acceptance of their countywide sales tax or embittered by the lack of a referendum may not be inconsequential to the fate of the outdoor sales tax dedication.
Combined, Anoka and Hennepin county voters make up a huge block of Minnesota voters.
As of April 6 there were some 3,088,615 registered voters in the state.
In the 2004 election, about 821,000 Anoka and Hennepin county residents cast a ballot.
Though an imperfect comparison, the county vote totals suggests that a quarter of the state voters could head for the polls in November with decided feelings about the sales tax.
Hackbarth says he has dwelled on these numbers for a long time.
ìOne or the other or both will fail,î said Hackbarth of an Anoka County sales tax referendum appearing on the ballot along with an outdoor dedication containing a sales tax increase.
He views it essential that a proposed outdoors sales tax dedication not raise taxes.
For his part, Sams has a ìroll the diceî attitude towards his outdoors and the arts constitutional dedication.
While acknowledging that the stadium issue could influence voters, Sams added that thereís no guarantee a proposed constitutional amendment will ever clear the Legislature.
He views Hackbarthís bill, with its constitutional amendments, as something of a mess.
Odds of all three stadiums ó Gopher, Twins and Vikings óbeing addressed this session was seen as unlikely, but now House Speaker Steve Sviggum talks of taking a vote on the formerly orphaned Vikings stadium proposal.
Rep. Andy Westerberg, R-Blaine, Vikings stadium author, is ìabsolutelyî certain a Vikings stadium vote will take place on the House floor.
Should lawmakers pass professional sports stadium bills without or even with local referendums, the mood of a big portion of the electorate could be affected.
Along with her knitting and perhaps a photo ID, grandmother could bring an attitude to the polls.
(The use of the big, bad wolf allusion in no way is intended to disparage or otherwise villainize these amazing animals.
Humans, like wolves, belong to the same web of life though the former tends to use it as a trampoline.)
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