The White Earth Nation tribe, based in Northwestern Minnesota, gave their proposal to help out with a new Minnesota Vikings Stadium with $400 million, given that they are allowed to build a new Indian casino around the Twin Cities. The measure has been called 'Minnesota Wins', but it has received a lukewarm reception from the congress.
Both House Speaker Kurt Zellers and Senate Majority Leader David Senjem put forth arguments that seemed against the idea, with both of them more in favor of different acts, including one that would expand charitable gambling such as electronic pulltabs in order to help raise the money:
Shortly after Vizenor unveiled the plan, House Speaker Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, appeared cool to it. "We will stick with what works," he said, referring to the consensus forming around an expansion of the charitable gambling industry to include electronic pulltabs as a way to help pay for a stadium. Zellers is a strong proponent of the charitable gambling proposal.
Senate Majority Leader David Senjem, R-Rochester, also appeared unenthusiastic. "It's probably going to have a difficult time," said Senjem, noting potential conflict with other tribes and their casinos on reservations. Senjem has strongly backed a languishing proposal that would put video slots at horse-racing tracks as a stadium revenue source.
A similar bill to try and give White Earth Nation a casino around the Twin Cities was proposed in 2004 by then Governor Tim Pawlenty but did not succeed because of dissent from other tribes.
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