On the left: Mike Opat, Hennepin County Commissioner
On the right: Sen. Steve Kelley, DFL-Hopkins
The Minnesota Senate’s State & Local Government Committee, Chaired by Sen. Linda Higgins, DFL-Minneapolis, held the first legislative hearings on the professional sports stadium issue(s). The committee heard presentations on Wednesday, February 11th, from the Governor’s Stadium Screening Committee, representatives from both the Twins and the Vikings, and representatives from the cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul, Eden Prairie, and the County of Anoka. Minneapolis and St. Paul are finalists for the proposed baseball park. Anoka County and Eden Prairie and finalists for the proposed football stadium.
Mike Opat presented the Twins stadium proposal on behalf of a parntership between the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County. Senator Kelley attended as a representative of the Governor’s Screening Committee.
We were the final presentor of the day. Mayor Tyra-Lukens, Economic Development Manager Dave Lindahl, and I made the presentation. I don’t believe anything very significant happened at the hearing, or because of the hearing. I believe it was the first legislative step in long, long journey. It was important to be there.
