ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Republican state lawmaker has
introduced a bill to build a new Vikings stadium in Ramsey County
and pay for it with tax money raised by authorizing electronic
bingo games and pull-tabs in bars and restaurants.
Rep. Rod Hamilton of Mountain Lake filed his bill Wednesday. He
has not previously been involved in stadium negotiations at the
Capitol, though his bill is similar to the Arden Hills proposal the
Vikings and Ramsey County had been pushing for most of the last
year.
That proposal has recently been abandoned as stadium
negotiations re-focused on rebuilding at or near the current
Metrodome site.
Hamilton’s bill would have the stadium built on the same Arden
Hills land as previously proposed. The stadium would have a roof,
65,000 seats and would open by 2016.