1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to major league baseball in Minnesota; 
  1.3             providing for purchase of a major league baseball 
  1.4             franchise; providing for broad-based private community 
  1.5             ownership of the franchise; providing conditions on 
  1.6             construction of a new stadium; creating a task force; 
  1.7             appropriating money. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [APPROPRIATIONS; INVESTMENT.] 
  1.10     (a) Up to $100,000,000 is appropriated from the general 
  1.11  fund to the commissioner of finance for purchase of a major 
  1.12  league baseball franchise on behalf of the state of Minnesota.  
  1.13  The appropriation is available until June 30, 1999.  Upon 
  1.14  purchasing a major league baseball franchise, the commissioner 
  1.15  of finance shall attempt to sell the franchise in a manner that 
  1.16  provides broad-based private community ownership, and that 
  1.17  ensures the franchise cannot be moved out of the state without 
  1.18  specific approval of the legislature.  
  1.19     (b) The state board of investment shall study whether it is 
  1.20  appropriate and desirable to invest assets under its control in 
  1.21  purchase of the franchise.  The board shall report to the 
  1.22  legislature by January 15, 1998, on its findings and on any 
  1.23  legislative changes needed to implement its findings. 
  1.24     Sec. 2.  [TASK FORCE.] 
  1.25     (a) A task force is created to make recommendations on the 
  1.26  best form and method of providing broad-based private community 
  2.1   ownership of a major league baseball franchise in Minnesota.  
  2.2   The task force consists of 15 members.  Five of the members are 
  2.3   appointed by the governor, five appointed jointly by the speaker 
  2.4   and minority leader of the house of representatives, and five 
  2.5   appointed by the subcommittee on committees of the Senate. 
  2.6      (b) The task force shall conduct public hearings.  In 
  2.7   making its recommendations, the task force must attempt to 
  2.8   maximize the possibility the baseball franchise will stay 
  2.9   forever in Minnesota, and attempt to minimize the economic costs 
  2.10  to citizens of Minnesota.  The task force shall make 
  2.11  recommendations to the governor and the legislature by January 
  2.12  15, 1998. 
  2.13     (c) The metropolitan sports facilities commission shall pay 
  2.14  for staff, administrative support, and other costs of the task 
  2.15  force. 
  2.16     Sec. 3.  [STADIUM.] 
  2.17     No public money may be spent for construction of a new 
  2.18  baseball stadium for a major league baseball franchise until the 
  2.19  commissioner of finance has purchased a controlling interest in 
  2.20  a major league baseball franchise under section 1.  After this 
  2.21  purchase, financing for a new stadium must come exclusively from 
  2.22  private sources, from the proceeds of a ticket tax, from 
  2.23  proceeds of taxes related to businesses that gain financial 
  2.24  benefits ancillary to people attending events at the new 
  2.25  stadium, or from other user fees or revenues that can reasonably 
  2.26  be associated with the use of, or attendance at, the stadium.