Minnesota Senate gives Vikings stadium 2nd big victory
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}May 8, 2012: Minnesota Vikings fan Hannah Walsh, 5, sits between "Skolt," left, also known as Scott Asplund, and Greg Hanson, who goes by Sir Odin, as the state Senate discussed the Vikings stadium bill in St. Paul, Minn. (AP/Star Tribune)
The Minnesota Senate has approved a plan to build a $975 million stadium for the Vikings, another big step toward the new facility it's chased for more than a decade.
The Senate vote Tuesday came a day after the House approved its own stadium bill. A conference committee will work out differences, and the Vikings are already on record against the House version for a $105 million hike in the amount they would pay. The Senate's version includes a smaller bump.
If both chambers pass the final product, the measure goes to Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton, who has led the charge for a new stadium for months.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Vikings say they can't make enough money in the 30-year-old Metrodome to compete.