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Tim Nelson and Brian Bakst

Bipartisan group proposes more Super Bowl tax breaks

Roger Goodell hands the game ball to the Minn. Super Bowl Host Committee.
At a press conference in Houston, Texas, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hands the Super Bowl game ball to the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee.
Courtesy Super Bowl Host Committee

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A bipartisan group of Minnesota lawmakers announced proposals that will provide ticket and parking tax breaks to the NFL for the Super Bowl in Minneapolis, which is about a year away.

Tickets to the game itself are already exempt. This adds a handful of related events in the Twin Cities, including the NFL Experience and the NFL Players Tailgate party, as well as advance visits in the lead-up to the game.

It also has a tax break for NFL-related parking — although only for the league, and not its constituent teams, like the Minnesota Vikings.

"So what this does is pick up some of the events that are pre-Super Bowl," said Senate minority leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, one of the bill's authors. "The lion's share of what the NFL expected was already in current law."

The breaks were outlined in the bid requirement to get the game, and were promised in a letter from legislative leaders to the NFL.

The bill has the support of longtime state Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisolm, and senior GOP senators, including Dave Senjem of Rochester, and Senate majority leader Paul Gazelka of Baxter. The tax breaks were included in last year's overall tax bill. Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed the larger bill because of an unrelated matter.

Gazelka said he understands the NFL is doing just fine, financially.

"But they choose where the Super Bowl is and if that's one of the requirements," he said, "then that's a small request for us to honor for the Super Bowl to be here. I think it's going to be really great for Minnesota."

The bill includes a provision to take $1.6 million from U.S. Bank Stadium's operating or capital reserve to make up for at least some the revenue lost to the exemptions.

It's the second Super Bowl-related bill this month. Last week, Rep. Tony Jurgens, R-Cottage Grove, filed a measure to lift the statewide fishing license requirement in the week before the Feb. 4, 2018, game, to encourage visitors to try a Minnesota tradition. He said that will probably be restricted to a few lakes or the Twin Cities area as it moves through the legislative process.

Another bill filed this session by Rep. Ray Dehn, DFL-Minneapolis, would allow bars in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to stay open until 4 a.m. between Feb. 2 and Feb. 5, 2018, subject to local approval and special licensing fees.