House procedural vote stalls plan to draw Delta HQ

St. Paul, Minn. — (AP) - A plan to entice Delta Air Lines to move its headquarters to Minnesota after it combines with Northwest Airlines has been blocked in the House. But the author isn't giving up.

Democrats ruled the tax break proposal was out of order when Republican Representative Kurt Zellers tried to amend it onto a bill dealing with the Metropolitan Council.

DFL House Majority Leader Tony Sertich calls the proposal "fool's gold."

Northwest chief executive Doug Steenland has already said the airlines won't reconsider the decision to keep Delta's headquarters in Atlanta.

But Zellers said lawmakers should do something to prevent the loss of jobs at Northwest's Eagan headquarters.

His proposal gets a hearing next week in the House Taxes Committee.

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