Vikings Stadium, Jobs Top Of 2012 Legislative Session
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) -- The last time they met, state lawmakers ended a bitter, 20-day government shutdown in Minnesota. Now, lawmakers are off and running in the 2012 legislative session.
The state House and Senate convened at noon Tuesday for short sessions. They were limited to ceremonial and organizational business. Gov. Mark Dayton is hosting a reception for lawmakers and their families later in the afternoon.
Going into the session, there were already a lot of issues on the table -- like the Vikings stadium, jobs and money for public projects. Dayton says a few of his top legislative priorities for the year are legislation to boost jobs and lower the state unemployment rate.
Dayton was also backing a Minneapolis site for a new stadium.
The Governor told the Minnesota Vikings that if any new stadium bill passes this year it would have to be at the Metrodome site.
A spokesperson for Gov. Dayton won't say if he favors the Metrodome site; only that his choice is for practical reasons.
The Vikings haven't said yet what they think about the Governor's announcement, but we know the team has said in the past it prefers the site in Arden Hills.
Among other issues lawmakers were expected to take up: the Governor's $775 million public projects bill.
Dayton said it would create almost 22,000 jobs, many of them in the private sector.
The money would go toward a new light rail in the southwest metro, and also provide money to expand civic centers in Rochester, Mankato and St. Cloud. It would also cover a new St. Paul Saints' ballpark and the renovation of Nicollet Mall.
The new Senate leadership has expressed some reservations about the Governor's proposal.
Constitutional amendments may come up a lot this session, but governors can't veto them.
While the Senate opened with lawmakers paying tribute to bipartisanship, Republicans and Democrats in that chamber quickly clashed over a majority Republican move to cut the staff budget for Democrats.
Lawmakers were also greeted in the Capitol rotunda by several hundred chanting protesters from the Occupy Wall Street movement.
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This year's session is expected to run into sometime in April.
