Senate committee hears plan to tap electronic pull-tab growth for US Bank Stadium capital needs; A1 amendment adopted, bill laid over

US Bank Stadium’s long-term capital needs, a request for $30 million toward a second phase of a permanent secured perimeter and a proposal to dedicate growth in electronic pull-tab revenue to stadium capital were the focus of a May 6 hearing before the Minnesota Senate Taxes Committee.

Mike Pekic, chair of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, told the committee the authority oversees the state-owned stadium and is requesting short-term and long-term funding to “protect the state's asset and invest in safety enhancements.” He said a facility condition assessment completed in 2023 identifies roughly $300 million in preventative maintenance, repairs and capital projects over the next 10 years and that Phase 2 of the permanent secured perimeter is currently estimated at nearly $85 million.

Senate File 3152, sponsored in committee by Senator France, proposes to direct any growth in combined net tax receipts attributed to electronic pull-tab (e-pull tab) revenue above a fiscal 2023 base year to the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority for stadium capital up to a maximum of $20 million per fiscal year (the bill would adjust the maximum for inflation beginning in fiscal 2026). The bill also seeks $30 million in the current session for hardening the stadium perimeter, including additional anti-climb fencing, crash-rated barriers and bollards near the West side legacy gate, Medtronic Plaza and the Downtown East Plaza.

Why it matters: US Bank Stadium is a state-owned asset operated under the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA). Supporters told the committee the venue produces substantial economic activity — testimony cited more than 9 million visitors since opening, nearly…