Officials for the new Vikings stadium have confirmed the NFL "will be making requests" to state lawmakers at the next legislative session for "additional tax exemptions" related to the '18 Super Bowl, according to a front-page piece by Doug Belden of the ST.PAUL PIONEER PRESS. The exemptions "would likely be passed" in '15, but the "question of what exactly Minnesota taxpayers would be giving the NFL as part of hosting the game has been in limbo since Minneapolis' bid was accepted by league owners in May." Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority Chair Michele Kelm-Helgen last week said that "it's likely stadium officials and leaders of the Super Bowl organizing committee will ask the Legislature to extend an existing exemption on Super Bowl game tickets to cover tickets to related events as well." State Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk said that whatever additional tax breaks are passed "wouldn't take effect till 2018, so they wouldn't be competing with other spending priorities for the 2016-17 biennium." Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said that he "won't commit to supporting any additional tax exemptions until he consults with leaders of both parties in the House and Senate." Dayton and the leaders last March sent a letter "to be included with Minneapolis' bid package committing to nothing specific but pledging general cooperation in bringing the game to town." It is "unclear what promises to the NFL were contained in Minnesota's Super Bowl bid." Other than "indicating there will likely be a push to exempt related events from tax, Kelm-Helgen hasn't specified what the wish list will be for the Legislature." But she said that Minnesota "didn't agree" to all of the NFL's tax exemption and refund. Dayton and state leaders also said that they "won't consider exempting NFL employees from income tax" (ST.PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 12/9).
