Senator Bonoff Capitol Update 15: Adjournment Sine Die

Dear Friends,

We adjourned sine die yesterday afternoon. From Wikipedia:

Adjournment sine die (from the Latin "without day") means "without assigning a day for a further meeting or hearing".[1] To adjourn an assembly sine die is to adjourn it for an indefinite period. A legislative body adjourns sine die when it adjourns without appointing a day on which to appear or assemble again.[2]

This was accomplished after a marathon of legislative days. Monday and Tuesday's sessions went past midnight and we began the following mornings early. Tempers flare and members' words reflect the effect of little sleep. While we know this does not produce our best work, in this case, as you will read within, we did manage to pass three significant pieces of legislation, two that will be signed by the Governor and one whose fate is still unknown.

Legislation to build a new Vikings Stadium will be signed into law.

The proposal funds the construction and maintenance of a new Vikings stadium at the current Metrodome site in Minneapolis. The terms of the bill estimate the total cost of a new stadium and on-site infrastructure at $975 million. The State of Minnesota would cover $348 million, the City of Minneapolis would cover $150 million, and the Vikings would cover $477 million of the up-front construction costs. The operating costs and capital reserves include $7.5 million per year paid by the state and $13 million per year paid by the Vikings.

Since I first started talking about this project as part of the working group several months ago, I have been a strong advocate for utilizing user-fees as a portion of the State share for the Stadium. I was disappointed that the House was unwilling to implement any user-fees at all (i.e. tax on sports memorabilia sold in the stadium).

In the end, the State’s share of the cost will come from expanding charitable gaming including electronic forms of pull-tabs and bingo and will include no money from the State’s general fund. The Vikings share of the cost is funded through a combination of private financing and equity investment. Since electronic charitable gaming is new in Minnesota and therefore projected revenues are less certain, the bill includes two blink-on revenue sources, a sports-themed lottery game and a 10% surcharge on stadium suites. The blink-on funding sources would only be used if the amount raised from charitable gaming is less than the state needs to pay the debt service.

I am pleased to report that because of tough negotiating on the part of our legislature, the Vikings team agreed to pay $50 million more towards the construction than had been previously negotiated. We thank the team for making that concession and think this increased contribution makes this deal better for the people of Minnesota. 

This new stadium will give the state’s economy a much-needed, yet short-term boost - creating over 10,000 new jobs. It will be publicly owned, available for a variety of public uses and events, and it will keep the Vikings in Minnesota for generations to come. I am proud to have worked on this project and applaud those who were willing to take the risk of making this happen.

Related:

Strib: The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to spend $477 million —$50 million more than they had planned — to get a new stadium under a deal that was given final House approval around 3:30 Thursday morning.

The new agreement for a Minnesota Vikings stadium gives the team the option of having a retractable roof.

Bonding Bill

The Omnibus Capital Investment (Bonding) package provides $496.4 million of the $2.1 billion in total statewide requests made this year. This compares to the $775 million proposal presented by the Governor and the $281 million initially proposed by the House.

I am disappointed that we missed several opportunities to invest in our state’s infrastructure. Important projects in St. Paul, Duluth, and Mankato were ignored; the University of Minnesota proposals were half what the Governor proposed; and the City of Minneapolis’ top request for the Nicollet Mall was also ignored. And the provision most pertinent to our community - the Southwest Corridor light rail project - was given short shrift, even though it has the support of business, citizens and local communities in the metro area.

I spoke on this on the Senate floor. Click here to view the video of my comments.

Major Provisions of the 2012 Omnibus Capital Investment Bill

• U of M: $64 million ($50 million for HEAPR, $10 million for Old Main)
• MnSCU: $94 million ($20 million for HEAPR)
• Library Grants: $1 million
• State Academies: $1 million (Asset Preservation)
• Perpich Center $263,000
• DNR: $46.5 million ($30 million for flood mitigation)
• Minnesota Zoo: $4 million
• Administration: $50.5 million ($44 million for Capitol renovation)
• Military Affairs: $23.5 million ($19.5 million for Camp Ripley)
• Transportation: $49.4 million ($3 million for local bridges)
• Met Council: $12.8 million (includes Phillips Pool AND Minneapolis Interchange)
• Human Services: $5.6 million ($3.68 million for St. Peter Security Hospital)
• DEED: $78.5 million ($47.5 million for Business Development program)
• Public Facilities Authority: $23.5 million
• Veteran’s Affairs: $7.4 million
• Housing Finance Agency: $5.5 million ($30 million in MHFA bonds)
• Minnesota Historical Society: $3.25 million

Tax Bills

Last week I talked about the tax bill and why I supported it. I also shared that I expected it to be vetoed given Governor Dayton’s views. Last night we passed a revised tax bill that scaled back the provision the Governor objected to. Previously the business property tax reductions would have put us $145.4 million in the red over the next two years. That is why it was vetoed. This bill lessens the reductions and has an ongoing cost of $73 million in the next biennium. Because our March collections are $106 million better than forecasted I am hopeful that Governor Dayton would be willing to accept this and view it as a compromise. As stated previously, the bill increases our investment in the Angel Investment Tax Credit. It eliminates the upfront exemption on Capitol Equipment and reduced business property taxes. The bill also contains tax credits for businesses to hire veterans and young adults entering the workforce.

There was a nice editorial in the Star Tribune urging both the legislature and the Governor to still pass some version of a compromise tax bill yet this year. Let’s hope this fulfills that opportunity.

Children’s Equal and Shared Parenting Act

This bill will create a stronger presumption of equal parenting time and joint physical custody. The bill increases the minimum parenting time presumption from 25% to 35%.

Currently all child custody orders in Minnesota are determined by judges on a case by case basis based on the “Child’s Best Interest Test” that balances thirteen factors to determine physical and legal custody. This will not change. Judges will still have the right and ability to intercede on a case by case basis. What has changed is the message that the State communicates to the courts with regard to the importance of joint parenting in our society.

This is an important issue. It is important that we do what we can to bring about balance so that mothers and fathers have equal access to raising their children. Not because it’s best for them, but because it’s best for children. I have been a champion for at risk youth, determined that we reverse their destiny and provide them with a path to achieve their fullest potential. It is with that in mind that I support this effort. I understand the important role parents, especially fathers, can play to ensure the success of their children. I say, “especially fathers,” because research shows that many of our most vulnerable children do not have strong fathers in their life. If the passage of this bill can potentially help combat that alarming trend, it is worth trying. The protections currently in law for victims of domestic abuse do not change. This bill is not an attempt to place women or children in harm’s way.

Retiring Senators

One of the most emotional and rich experiences of serving in the Minnesota Senate is listening to retirement speeches at the end of a term.  Yesterday was no exception. I was touched and moved by each of those who spoke. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for their service and their sacrifice. For each, leaving was bittersweet. Almost each member spoke through their tears. It is awe inspiring to be in the presence of someone as they relinquish the great honor of being an elected public servant. The speeches can be heard by clicking here. It is well worth the time!

The members who retired are: Mike Jungbauer, Chris Gerlach, Keith Langseth, Amy Koch, Linda Higgins, Doug Magnus, Geoff Michel, Claire Robling, Mike Parry, Ken Kelash, Gretchen Hoffman, and Mary Jo McGuire.

Best Regards,

Terri Bonoff