Zellers Says Vikings Bill Leaves Behind Animosity

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Republican Rep. Morrie Lanning, the Viking stadium bill's author in the House, told WCCO's Chad Hartman that there were "dark days" and that the bill almost didn't happen.

"We were trying to get the Vikings to agree to what we thought we needed to get the votes in the legislature," Lanning said. "And they didn't respond in a positive way. And I was beginning to think Wednesday night that we weren't going to get this done."

The issue was the extra money the Vikings had to kick in -- the extra $50 million.

House Speaker Kurt Zellers said the pressure to pass the bill put a strain on the GOP's relationship with Gov. Mark Dayton.

"I think that's where this angst, this animosity is that is a lot of us feel," Zellers said. "It took so much air, so much oxygen out of the room that it was hard to focus on anything else in the room."

Said Dayton, "the session was disappointing over all, except for two major jobs bills at the end."

Dayton added that he feels like a golfer who had a bad round, then a scored a birdie and an eagle. He's expected to sign the bill next week.