Categories: Stadium
| On 12 years ago

Okay, So Where Do We Go From Here?

By Adam Warwas

So, now that the House passed the Vikings stadium bill with a 105 million twists thrown in, what happens next?

As on most stadium issues, I have immediately sought out the facts from my favorite source on all stadium-related issues, Kevin Seifert at ESPN.

So, here are the steps that remain:

  • The bill will move on the Minnesota Senate on Tuesday.  There will likely be another long day of debate, and it is possible that items are added or deleted to the bill, including the $105 million portion that the House tossed at the feet of the Vikings on Monday.  These changes are referred to as “amendments.”
  • If the Senate fails to pass any version of the stadium bill then it is likely dead in the water.
  • If the Senate does pass some sort of version of the bill, which will likely differ from the House version, then it will move on to a House-Senate conference committee.
  • When the bill gets to the House-Senate conference committee it is their job to reconcile the differences between the two versions of the bill.
  • (Note:  Thanks to the reader that pointed out this missing step.)  The bill then travels back through the House and the Senate.  If it passes both, then it will be presented to the Governor with one single bill.
  • The Governor would then either sign the bill or veto it.  He is widely expected to pass any version of the bill that makes it to his desk.

So, there is still plenty of work to be done, and the Vikings and NFL are going to try their hardest to get rid of the additional $105 million responsibility that the House is trying to impose on them.

And, so, we continue to wait for a final answer.

Adam Warwas

Adam Warwas (Founder) has been writing about the Vikings for a total of eight years. Five of those years have been here at Vikings Territory where he continues to surround himself with enough talented individuals that people keep coming back. As proud as he is of what Vikings Territory has become, his real treasures are in his home... a beautiful wife and three amazing children (and a dog named Percy).

View Comments

  • I think your steps are flawed. After if goes to house-senate commitee it goes through the full house and senate as one final bill and gets voted upon.

    Also, Seifert has proven too many times to me that he is an unreliable source.

  • (I believe you are correct about the process, Artisian.)

    This is now a high-stakes poker game. The majority came up with a strategy of cutting the contribution(opening bet) to keep a team they know they need to keep and still have a way to spin it in their re-election campaigns. I'm sure they even discussed who could best survive the yes votes in the next campaign, and told the rest to vote no. I predict the Senate will pass a similar version with perhaps a $50 million reduction (raise). Reps from the League, Ziggy and Dayton will all be involved in conversations in that little room in the front via cell phones. Then, that difference between $50m and $103m will be addressed in conference committee, and will produce something like a $65m reduction that will be approved on both floors, with every legislator able to say they won/and or had no choice. "Mr. Wilf, your bet please, sir. You are not alllowed to raise. You may either call or fold."

    How do I know if this is what will happen!!? But you can bet there is a ton of politics going on in those devious little minds right now. The good news is there is the apparent acknowledgement that a stadium bill is needed, and all this other stuff has been about as useful as Spielman's pre-draft quotes.

  • "Yeah, uh, Roger? Ziggy? Dave Senjem here. Yeah, guys, try as I may, I just don't have the votes for the bill as it currently stands. I have, however, had a few senators approach me and confide that they could go for something with a little less public money, say... oh, I don't know, $75 million or so. Of course, if that number were to somehow grow, the odds of getting more votes probably goes up. I know this isn't what you want to hear, and gosh darn, I have tried my hardest to help you fellas, out but, gee, it just isn't happening right now."

  • The CO Vikes are currently considering a pretty major remodel job. Mrs. Vike equates the stadium like this:

    Contractor (Vikings): Here's the plans for your remodel job. The cost will be $25,000

    CO Vike (State of MN): Great! It's perfect! Let's get it done, when can you start? Here's your payment of $15,000.

    Contractor: Ummm, the cost is $25,000

    CO Vike: Yep, we love it! $15,000, let's go!!! Aren't you excited to get started on our job?

  • There is one other option. Since the politicians have essentially stab the Vikes in the back, Zygi could play his biggest card and try and sell the team instead of having to deal with more political morons.

    • Yup, Norse. That would be a "fold". But, who knows, maybe all along Ziggy and the League left themselves some room on this. No one ever says, if you need more from me, just give me a call. Public negotiations are a very ugly thing to behold. I think the final difference will be less than the $103M.

      • It's funny through all of this, that nobody on either the Vikings side or the state side has mentioned the huge profit that the Metrodome has turned since it was built. But yet the state is trying to get $296 million for renovations for the capitol building. I would like to see their return investment on that.

  • OK, we now know that 33 Republican House members voted in favor of the bill. That is the combination of...
    1. We don't want to be the party that sent the Vikes packing.
    2. We'll put up the necessary votes only if we pay $100M less.
    3. Discussion held within the caucus as to who would be allowed to vote yes and who would vote no. (That is the only rhyme or reason I can see to how each one voted.)
    4. We now have our tailbone covered for the summer re-election campaigns

    And now its the Senate's turn....

  • I think the Vikings lowballed their contribution number, just in case something like this happened.

  • All Vikings need to do is sell naming rights to Sanford Health for 110 million and difference is made up already.

  • ain't ova til it's ova

    lots of decisions and negotiating to be done, guys

    doors are closed and they are alone, making deals right this very minute

    • Cal, when I said "there is a ton of politics going on in those devious little minds right now", I was sincere and intentional in using both the words devious and little.

  • Mr Zellers was kind enough to respond to your old pal Fragile's email:

    Dear Mr. Fragile Freds:

    Thank you for contacting me about the Vikings stadium issue. I have received thousands of emails on this topic and truly appreciate the level of interest this has gotten.

    On Monday, May 7 the members of the Minnesota House debated the Vikings Stadium bill and by a vote of 73-58 approved legislation that provides financing for a new stadium. While I voted against the bill, I gave my word to my colleagues, stadium supporters and Governor Mark Dayton that, despite my concerns, the bill would receive a fair process.

    The Minnesota Senate is expected to take up the Vikings issue for a debate and vote by its members today, Tuesday, May 8.

    I will continue to help facilitate this process as it moves forward in the Minnesota Legislature, allowing all parties to resolve differences and – more importantly – better protect the interests of Minnesota taxpayers.

    Best regards,

    Kurt

    Speaker Kurt Zellers

    State Representative, District 32B

    463 State Office Building
    St. Paul, MN 55155

    Fred's response:

    Thank you for the return note Mr. Zellers. I appreciate your stance on this issue and we all make choices. Please understand that four votes in this household will chose not to support you with our votes as we have in the past.

    Good luck and again, thank you for your response.

    • i got the same response email today, phreds, except he added a line at the end, "Is it safe?"

    • Haha I got the same email from Zellers too. What a tool he is and it's nice to hear he's lost the Freds households votes.

      • My response from Zellers was a little different, johnny...

        Dear Mr. Grant,
        Thank you for your e-mail, which was one of the most thoughtful and intelligent notes I got on the stadium topic. I almost changed my mind as a result of your arguments, and even now I wonder if I did the right thing. You would not believe what some clowns sent me for e-mails on this. One guy even said he and his family won't be voting for me now. Oooooo, I'm so scared!! Like I'm gonna lose sleep over the votes of some guy named Fragile and his family. Wow!

        Anyway, thanks again for your note. While I really have no choice but to vote no to save face and assure my tea party contributions this fall, I will make sure this thing gets done.

        Sincerely,
        Zelly

        • You da man Coach. Just common sense really, an email from the greatest coach in Vikings history does tend to have a little more clout than one from a guy named Fragiles. I do find it curious tho that this tool would send the exact emails to us out of staters that he does to the locals? Rest assured the next email I send to Mr. Zellers probably wont be considered polite.