Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature
Minnesota House of Representatives

House tax committee weighs bill to rescind Rochester sports complex funding

By Rob Hubbard
Kamau Wilkins, owner and operator of the Minnesota South chapter of the Youth Enrichment League, testifies April 22 before the House Taxes Committee for a bill sponsored by Rep. Kim Hicks to amend approved uses of local sales tax funds in Rochester. (Photo by Andrew VonBank)
Kamau Wilkins, owner and operator of the Minnesota South chapter of the Youth Enrichment League, testifies April 22 before the House Taxes Committee for a bill sponsored by Rep. Kim Hicks to amend approved uses of local sales tax funds in Rochester. (Photo by Andrew VonBank)

In 2023, Rochester voters approved a half-cent local sales tax extension designed to raise $205 million that would go toward an economic development fund, street reconstruction, flood control and water quality. But the largest amount, $65 million, would go toward a regional sports and recreation complex.

After its approval, the city commissioned a study to hash out details of the sports complex plan. And the price tag almost doubled, coming in at $120 million.

Reasons cited for the increase included previously underestimating the cost of land acquisition and inflation. The Rochester City Council voted to scrap the indoor recreation component of the project and focus on outdoor fields and courts, overriding a mayoral veto to put that measure in place.

Rep. Kim Hicks (DFL-Rochester) campaigned for the sales tax increase in 2023, but now wants the funding eliminated. That’s why she’s sponsoring HF4194, which would mandate that Rochester not collect funds for the sports and recreation complex after June 30, 2026.
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Recent Dailies

Public safety committee advances $14.4 million supplemental funding bill
By Tim Walker
House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee co-chairs Paul Novotny and Kelly Moller work on passing amendments to HF1082, the public safety finance and policy supplemental appropriations bill, during a Wednesday meeting. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) A $14.4 million supplemental public safety package is one stop away from a House vote. The funding requests would be appropriated in Fiscal Year 2027 for projects and progra...
Deadlocked House rules panel rejects impeachment resolution against Walz, Ellison
By Mike Cook
The House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee listens to public testimony April 15 on a resolution regarding impeachment investigations of state officers. (Photo by Andrew VonBank) Gov. Tim Walz will not be running the state in 2027 and, depending on results of the November election, Attorney General Keith Ellison may be out of his office as well. Howe...
Concerns over Roseau Lake project bog down Legacy finance bill
By Margaret Stevens
The House Legacy Finance Committee listens April 15 as nonpartisan staff walk through the committee’s finance bill. (Photo by Andrew VonBank) Lawmakers have generally supported projects vetted by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. But questions about one project are sufficient to stall a bill that would approp...
Minnesota AG's Office seeks changes to scam restitution fund
By Lisa Kaczke
Louise Schostek testifies April 15 before the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee in support of a bill sponsored by Rep. Liz Lee, left, that would remove deposit limits on the consumer protection restitution account. (Photo by Andrew VonBank) An account created last year to help scam victims become financially whole could receive some changes to provide funds to more people. The Consumer Protection Restitution Ac...
House proposal seeks solutions for rural vets facing long drives for mental health care
By Mike Cook
Brendan Weed, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Augsburg University, testifies Wednesday in support of HF4588. Sponsored by Rep. Andrew Myers, HF4588 would establish a task force to improve veterans' access to mental health services in rural areas. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) For veterans living in rural areas of Minnesota getting mental health treatment can often be far more arduous than those in the more populated areas.  They often must make a...
Human services finance bill focused on federal compliance, program integrity
By Winter Keefer
The House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee’s work this session has included prioritizing program integrity to fight fraud, while also updating systems to comply with ...
Proposed tax on preferred sports seating would fund shelters, housing
By Rob Hubbard
Kloie Rosabella testifies before the House Taxes Committee April 15 in support of a bill sponsored by Rep. Heather Keeler, left, that would provide safe harbor shelter and housing grant funding. (Photo by Andrew VonBank) What do private suites at sports events and shelters for women and girls fleeing sex trafficking have in common? One could end up funding the other. That’s the goal of HF473...
After heated debate, energy committee rejects DFL omnibus bill
By Rob Hubbard
Rep. Patty Acomb presents HF4374 to the House Energy Finance and Policy Committee April 14. The bill would make statutory changes to agencies that implement energy programs. (Photo by Andrew VonBank) Surprise! It’s an omnibus bill. The House Energy Finance and Policy Committee had seven bills on its agenda Tuesday, with each of them presumably under consideration for pos...
Public safety committee unveils $14.4 million supplemental budget bill
By Tim Walker
The House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee listens Tuesday as nonpartisan staff conduct a walkthrough of HF1082, the public safety finance and policy supplemental appropriations bill. (Photo by Michele Jokinen) Although this is not a budget year, lawmakers are still crafting smaller, supplemental budget bills to possibly dole out some extra cash to state departments and agencies. T...
House Republican school safety package stalls; DFL proposal up next
By Graham Johnson
(House Photography file photo) Nathan Flansburg is the superintendent of PACT Charter School in Ramsey. He laments that schools are no longer about simply getting an education. “Schools are now expected t...
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Session Daily Home

Search Session Daily
Advanced Search Options

Priority Dailies

Stable budget outlook projects $3.7 billion surplus now, no deficit in next biennium
By Lisa Kaczke
The projected surplus for Fiscal Years 2026-27 is now higher than it was in the November estimate, and no deficit is projected for the next biennium. “Minnesota’s budge...
Legislative leaders set 2026 committee deadlines
By Lisa Kaczke
Legislative leaders on Tuesday officially set the timeline for getting bills through the committee process during the upcoming 2026 session. Here are the three deadlines for...

Social Media Links