Politics & Government

Here's Why Joe Voted 'Yes'

The Minnesota House passed the stadium bill 73-58 Monday night. Rep. Joe Atkins was among those who voted 'Yes.'

House Rep. Joe Atkins voted to pass the Vikings stadium bill late Monday night. Here is his take on why he liked the bill. 

1) The funding plan is based on a bill I introduced to provide much-needed tax relief to charitable gambling organizations. Some of these charities, which support our local veterans and sports teams and the arts, are on life support and desperately need tax relief to stay alive. As I said on the House floor, 'Many legislators support this plan as much or more to help out charities as to solve the stadium issue.' 

2) Once a stadium bill passes both the House and Senate, it will go to a conference committee to work out the differences between the two versions and to further negotiate the best deal with all of the parties involved. I said early in the debate that we should pass the bill, get it to the conference committee, and that the Speaker should then appoint whomever he feels are the "toughest, smartest, most effective negotiators in the House to that conference committee." We will be at a point of a maximum leverage with all parties involved when the bill is in the conference committee, and that ought to enable the very best deal for the to be struck ... if we have tough, smart, effective negotiators on the conference committee.

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