Roger Goodell's last-minute lobbying trip to Minnesota paid some immediate dividends on Friday night, less than 12 hours after the NFL commissioner's meeting with Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders. A version of the Vikings stadium bill was approved by the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee with a narrow 8-6 vote.
Minnesota Senate Committee Gives Vikings Stadium Bill New Life
The bill now moves onto the Jobs and Economic Growth Committee, one of several hurdles it will have to clear before the end of the legislative session scheduled for May 21.
A small step, it gives stadium supporters a win. The plan looked shelved, at least for the 2012 legislative session, after a House committee voted down a version of it Monday. That sent the Vikings and the NFL scurrying. Goodell convened Friday’s meeting in an effort to salvage the bill’s chances this year, while the Vikings still have a Metrodome home.
No solution will leave Vikings owner Zygi Wilf and the league looking for other alternatives, including the possibility of selling the team or relocating.
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