Politics & Government
Apple Valley's Senator Votes No on Passed Minnesota Vikings Stadium Bill
Sen. Chris Gerlach, who represents Apple Valley, voted no on the plan that passed 38-28 on Tuesday.
The Minnesota Senate on Tuesday approved a public subsidy package for a new Vikings stadium with a 38-28 vote.
Sen. Chris Gerlach, a Republican who represents Apple Valley, voted no on the bill, which would provide the team with about $350 million in state money to build the $975 million facility, with the other funding sources being the City of Minneapolis and the Vikings ownership group.
Find out what's happening in Apple Valley-Rosemountwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Tuesday's vote follows on Monday of its version of a Vikings stadium bill with a 73-58 vote.
A conference committee made up from members of the House and Senate will need to negotiate a final bill and get approval from their respective bodies. If approved, it could be to the governor's desk by the end of the week.
Find out what's happening in Apple Valley-Rosemountwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Read more on the Senate version of the bill from the Star Tribune.
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From Monday:
While the Minnesota House of Representatives on Monday passed a plan for a new Minnesota Vikings football stadium, both of Apple Valley's state representatives voted no the proposal.
State Reps. Kurt Bills (R-District 57B), of Rosemount, and Tara Mack (R-District 57A), Apple Valley, cast no votes in yesterday's 73-58 passage of the plan that proposes a new stadium on the current Metrodome site.
Monday's passage of the bill in the House, however, doesn't guarantee a new home for the Vikings.
The Senate is expected to take up its version of the bill on Tuesday. If the Senate approves the measure, a committee made up from members of the House and Senate will need to negotiate a final bill and get approval from their respective bodies. If approved, it could be to the governor's desk by the end of the week.
The bill calls for $427 million from Vikings, $150 million from Minneapolis, $398 million from state via expansion of charitable gambling, to build the stadium.
The bill includes funding sources such as gaming, ticket surchages and Minneapolis tax dollars that funded the Metrodome and Minneapolis Convention Center to make up for the state and local portion of the stadium. The Vikings have said they will pay for about $425 million.
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