Vikings Stadium Facing Friday Deadline [AUDIO]

ST. PAUL  (AP) - House Speaker Kurt Zellers says blowing past a Friday legislative deadline should not be the main concern for supporters of the Vikings stadium bill.

Zellers says he's much more concerned that the gambling revenue the bill identifies to pay the state share of a $975 million stadium could fall short and that the Minnesota treasury would be left on the hook.

Friday is a key legislative deadline where all bills must pass through at least one House or Senate committee in order to keep moving. The Vikings bill has yet to clear that hurdle, and no hearings are scheduled for Friday.

However, Republican State Senator John Pederson of St. Cloud says he gets a very high percentage of e-mails and calls on the Vikings stadium issue, and it needs to be dealt with this year.

Pederson says he's comfortable with the plan to have electronic pull tabs pay for the state's portion of the stadium.  And he says, if that money falls short, he would support a tax on sports merchandise.

Zellers says he has not yet read the entire stadium bill but does not believe it's acceptable in its current form.