In MN, interviews with more than 100 legislators "show
that the latest Twins ballpark proposal is having a tough
time making converts heading into today's showdown session
at the Capitol," according to Conrad deFiebre of the
Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Legislators say that they have
"many concerns. The most common: using money from the
state's general fund, the fuzziness of the community
ownership element and the lack of time to study the bill
before voting on it" (STAR TRIBUNE, 11/13). In Minneapolis,
Whereatt & Weiner report that "tens of thousands of
Minnesotans jammed Capitol phone lines Wednesday to advise
legislators how they should vote today" on the ballpark
proposal. Legislators received more than 150,000 phone
calls causing "telephone gridlock" at times, meaning calls
could not come into or go out of legislative offices.
Meanwhile, sponsors of the stadium measure made "three
significant changes" from the plan announced last week: Any
profit from the Twins' sale won't all go to charity, instead
half would go to charity and half would pay off the
construction debt on the new stadium; The capturing of
sales taxes statewide on licensed sports souvenirs was
eliminated; and a 2% surcharge on the income of Twins
players, coaches and employees and visiting players who make
$150,000 a year or more was added (STAR TRIBUNE, 11/13). MN
House Speaker Phil Carruthers, on the plan's prospects: "It
looks very, very difficult" (PIONEER PRESS, 11/13).
