The Vikings study was a last-minute addition to the bill during its final committee stop. Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, a longtime opponent of public subsidies for professional sports facilities, argued against the provision.

"It is public money," he said. "We've got urgent needs in this state. If this is the way we ought to go, have them bring legislation next year to ask for the study, to fund the study and we can do it at that time. But this did not go through the legislative process properly."

MPR | West Central Trib | TwinCities.com