Politics & Government

Latz Votes 'Yes,' Stadium Bill Passes Senate

The plan passed by a 38-28 margin late Tuesday.

Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44) joined 37 other senators in passing a Vikings stadium bill late Tuesday.

With the 38-28 vote, the plan will now head to a House-Senate conference committee so differences can be ironed out. The Star Tribune reports that both the House and Senate bumped up the amount the Vikings would pay—the House to $532 million, the Senate to $452.

The team has proposed $427 million.

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In addition to changing the state's overall contribution, the Senate also tweaked how that money would be raised, adding a series of user fees on things like tickets and parking that would supplement money raised from expanded gambling, the Star Tribune notes.

The conference committee will be responsible for reconciling the two bills and producing a final bill for both chambers to vote on. If the House and Senate pass that final bill, it will go to Gov. Mark Dayton's desk for a signature.

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Latz joined fellow District 44 DFLers Reps. Ryan Winkler and Steve Simon in voting "yes" for the stadium.

The House bill passed late Monday by a 73-58 vote.

Winkler was initially skeptical about the project but announced before the vote that he planned to support the plan.

“It has become clear, however, that the current political environment of the state capitol is not capable of producing any other job or economic growth initiative besides the Vikings stadium bill. We face a choice, at the end of the legislative session, between doing nothing or spending our limited resources on a project with a limited return on investment,” he . “Yet, as voters experience in every election, politics often comes down to a choice between two imperfect options. I have decided that a flawed plan for creating jobs in Minnesota is better than no plan at all.”

How District 44 Voted on the Stadium

Sen. Ron Latz: Yes

Rep. Ryan Winkler: Yes

Rep. Ryan Winkler: Yes


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