The Minnesota House passed a bill Friday that would allow alcohol to be sold in certain areas of TCF Bank Stadium.
The liquor omnibus bill includes a provision to allow alcohol in stadium suites and a designated area in or near the stadium. The Senate passed a similar provision in its omnibus bill Wednesday.
It’s unclear whether the bill will have to go to a conference committee to reconcile differences before going to Gov. Mark Dayton for final approval. Dayton’s press secretary Katharine Tinucci previously told the Minnesota Daily that the governor has not taken a position on the bill.
The bill comes out of a years-long battle between the Legislature and the University of Minnesota over where alcohol could be sold in the stadium.
The University originally wanted to sell alcohol in the suites only, but decided selling alcohol at all after the Legislature required it to make it available to the general public.
The University’s Board of Regents will have to change the current policy at TCF, and board chair Linda Cohen previously told the Daily she thought the bill was a “good idea.”
Cohen said Friday that the board could act on the policy as early as May. The board doesn’t meet in April.
-Dina Elrashidy contributed to this report.