GOP Leader Against State Tax Money For New Stadium

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The new chairman of the House Taxes Committee says he opposes using state tax money to build a new Minnesota Vikings football stadium.

Republican Rep. Greg Davids of Preston says residents of his southeastern Minnesota district would not benefit from having a new stadium in the Twin Cities, so he won't ask them to pay for it.

Davids says it's possible some money for a new stadium could be raised by a ticket tax or some other kind of user fee.

But he says it's not going to be general fund money.

Davids says he opposed the new Twins stadium until supporters proposed a plan to raise sales taxes only in Hennepin County, the ballpark's home county.

The Vikings' Metrodome lease expires after the coming season.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)