No hearings scheduled for Vikings stadium bill

At the Capitol Monday, some GOP lawmakers formally introduced a bill to build a new Vikings stadium, but there are no immediate hearings scheduled.

The chief House sponsor of the stadium bill says it says it will likely be weeks before lawmakers take it up.

"We don't expect that there will be any hearing on until after break," said Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead. "A week from today we'll start our break, so sometime after break we'll have the first hearing."

The bill proposes a new roofed stadium to replace the Metrodome as home of the Vikings. The state, the team and a host city or county would split the cost.

An initial proposal called for a 10 percent surcharge on football players income, for both visiting teams and the Vikings. But Lanning said the final draft of the bill cut that surcharge to 5 percent.

"When you put together a bill, you make changes along the way," Lanning said. "We've made a number of changes and this bill is at least the fifth draft."

No site has been selected yet, and the financing mechanism remains uncertain.

A Senate version of the bill has been introduced by Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont. That bill is headed for the Senate's local government committee, but there's no date set yet for a hearing.