Dayton: More hurdles to overcome in stadium debate

Vikings stadium rendering
This artist rendering provided by the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission shows how a new Vikings stadium might be situated on the exiting Metrodome site in downtown Minneapolis.
Courtesy Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission

Gov. Mark Dayton said Thursday there's still fundamental disagreement about plans to finance a new Vikings stadium.

A majority on the Minneapolis City Council endorsed a stadium plan earlier this week, but funding the state share with new electronic pull tabs is still causing controversy. Nearly 2,000 charitable gambling operators are wary that the stadium will siphon off too much of their proceeds.

Speaking at the Capitol, Dayton said he was confident in his administration's projections that there would be plenty of money for both the stadium and the charities. But the disagreement remains an obstacle to a deal.

"I don't see the charities and Commissioner of Revenue Myron Frans on the same planet, in terms of their analyses," Dayton said. "If we could agree on the numbers ... and I said this in a meeting with all of them present 10 days ago. At least we'd agree on the facts."

Dayton said he felt sure that the extra business would be good for the charities in the long run, even if they helped pay for a replacement for the Metrodome.

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