Vikings a Vote Away from New Stadium

ST. PAUL (AP) - A fast-moving Minnesota Vikings stadium bill is just a successful state Senate vote away from reaching the desk of a supportive Gov. Mark Dayton.

The Minnesota House voted 71-60 early Thursday on a reworked $975 million stadium bill. Passage came within hours of the Vikings signing off on a proposal requiring them to pay $50 million more than franchise owners had previously agreed to.

The deal puts the team and its private partners on the hook for $477 million. The public would pay $498 million through and expansion of legalized gambling and a redirected sales tax now collected in Minneapolis.

The Vikings have pursued a new stadium for more than a decade, but the push gained urgency when its lease expired after last season.

The Senate is due to vote Thursday afternoon.