Vikings Pass Senate Finance with Racino Hugging the Rail
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The Vikings stadium bill is out of the pan and into the fire, as it faces one final hearing from the Senate Taxes Committee before it is sent to the Senate floor for a vote.
On Wednesday, the stadium bill was amended to include Racino, then passed in the Finance Committee (Chaired by Sen. Claire Robling, R-Jordan) by a vote of 9-5 and recommended to be sent to the Taxes Committee.
Some folks are concerned about this manuever, including Racino supporters. Long time legislative supporter of Racino and chief author of the Vikings bill in the Senate, Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont said, "I have concerns this could kill our bill."
The amendment was proposed by Sen. Sean Nienow (R-Cambridge), and passed with a vote of 11-3. When the overall bill was voted on, Nienow voted no. It suggests that Nienow was using Racino as a way to hurt the stadium bill, knowing it would hurt democratic support of the stadium plan.
As founder of SavetheVikes.org, I've confirmed with several sources that the Senate Taxes Committee will not be hearing the Vikings bill on Thursday.
With session coming to a close, we hope Madam Chair Ortman will take up the bill on Friday.
Check out www.SavetheVikes.org for developments on this story.
Claire Schroeder Lundgren
12:07 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012
It's a sad story that a non-contributing sovereign nation can hold a state legislature hostage over a matter that 80% of the Minnesota residents favor. This SHOULD be a no brainer- a guaranteed way to finance the stadium, a guaranteed way to save a valuable industry that contributes over $1 billion per annum to the economy, a way to pay back some of the education shift, and a way to provide THOUSANDS of jobs. Racinos are proven winners in 14 Racino states! Our legislators should be made to hold themselves accountable for the riches of embarrassment they are bringing down on our state!