Whatever happened to waiting for the Legislature to actually vote on a bill? The Star Tribune has done a survey of legislators to see where they stand on various issues before they actually vote. It'll be interesting to see if any of the bills they polled on come up for a vote, so we can determine once and for all whether those endless debates in the House actually change anybody's mind. Anyway, the Strib asked lawmakers how they feel about the latest version of the stadium plan:

With more than three-fourths of House members responding, 42 said they favored a deal that would raise the sales tax in Hennepin County. Thirty-six opposed it, and 27 members said they were undecided. The proposal needs 68 votes to pass the 134-member House.

Supported by legislative leaders, the plan appears headed for passage in the Senate, where 33 members replied that they supported the plan -- just one shy of the number needed to pass the 67-person chamber.

Fourteen said they opposed the plan, and 17 said they were undecided.

The survey doesn't necessarily reflect the way that legislators would vote on the measure. They were allowed to respond confidentially, asked only to share their sentiments based on what they know now.

So what then does this survey actually mean?

In the Pioneer Press, there's a profile of author of the stadium bill, Rep. Brad Finstad, R-New Ulm:

Finstad, who was elected in 2002, may lack the experience of many of his colleagues, but the Twins are placing their hopes on his professed passion to find them a new home. The $478 million outdoor ballpark would be financed in part by the Twins, with most coming from a Hennepin County sales tax of 3 cents on a $20 purchase.

Before this session, Finstad had carried low-profile agriculture bills that affected mostly rural Minnesota. But over the next two weeks of a legislative session that must adjourn May 23, he'll be in the spotlight as he fights to get the bill passed without a mandatory referendum.

"We needed a new chief sponsor, and the speaker suggested we have a little visit with Brad,'' said Jerry Bell, president of Twins Sports Inc., the Carl Pohlad company that owns the team. "We did that, and I liked him. He thought it was important to get the deal done, and he seemed competitive to me.''

It doesn't hurt to have the speaker behind you either, but even that might not be enough to get the bill through the tax committee.

And if all-stadium-all-the-time gets to be too much for you, how about this item from the St. Cloud Times?:

St. Cloud could end up in one county, if a bill the House of Representatives approved Monday becomes law.

Representatives voted 102-31 in favor of HF1949, which would allow Stearns County to redraw its boundaries to include all of St. Cloud — including the part east of the Mississippi River in Benton and Sherburne counties — if county commissioners and voters agree.

The bill's author, Rep. Joe Opatz, DFL-St. Cloud, said he hoped the vote would energize discussions among local governments and citizens about how to provide services more efficiently and cost-effectively.

Opatz may not pursue a Senate vote on the issue this year.

Finally, some unity in the St. Cloud area.