The Twins' stadium proposal "fizzled" on Monday as
bills in the MN House and Senate "directing the Legislative
Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy to study financing
for a new ballpark failed to make it to the floors of either
chamber," according to Jay Weiner in the Minneapolis STAR
TRIBUNE. A subcommittee of legislators is "expected" to
"tackle the issue" this summer. Weiner writes, "The
ballpark debate has clarified some sentiments: Minnesotans
want the Twins to stay, but not if it means subsidizing
leagues and team owners who haven't gotten the economics of
their own sports houses in order." On Monday, Twins
President Jerry Bell said that the team's board "hadn't
completed its assessment of what's next in its effort to get
a ballpark" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 5/20).
HOCKEY DOWN: The STAR TRIBUNE's Curt Brown writes that
St. Paul's "last-ditch efforts to receive any state support
to attract" an NHL team "were smothered" yesterday, as a
number of "attempts" to add amendments to an arena financing
bill failed. Brown reports that St. Paul officials "are
still holding out faint hope that [Gov. Arne] Carlson will
address hockey in a special session" (STAR TRIBUNE, 5/20).
