FOX 21 News, KQDS-DT

Minnesota lawmakers are denying owners of
football's Vikings exclusive rights to recruit a professional
soccer club as part of a stadium deal.

The state Senate voted 47-20 on Tuesday to strip out a clause
giving the Vikings five years to establish a major league soccer
franchise before anyone else can. The provision would have let the
soccer team play at a new stadium with no additional rent.
Republican lawmakers complained it would give a corporation a
publicly endorsed monopoly. Many Democrats sided with them.
The Vikings ownership has floated the idea of bringing a soccer
expansion franchise to play in a new stadium during non-football
months.

The amendment came about seven hours into Senate debate on the
Vikings $975 million stadium package.