A Senate joint committee today is holding another hearing on a possible new home for the Minnesota Vikings. Leaders are discussing possible ways to pay for a facility.

MPR reports Republican Rep. Joe Hoppe indicated behind-the-scenes negotiations are making progress. Hoppe chairs the House Commerce Committee. The stadium bill stalled in a Senate hearing in early March. Meanwhile, Minneapolis City Council members who oppose the stadium bill plan to hold public hearings on the proposal.

The state Senate on Tuesday launched the first in a series of hearings on a possible new home for the Minnesota Vikings.

The county's charter commission is holding the first of two public hearings on whether voters should get to approve a sales tax for the stadium.

The House Ways and Means Committee advanced the $975 million stadium proposal without recommendation Monday night. A Senate committee is expected to hear a similar bill Tuesday. It could come up for a vote on the floor in both chambers by Friday.

The 15-member House Government Operations and Elections Committee has scheduled a hearing for the $975 million stadium proposal Monday evening. The Vikings bill has already cleared the House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee and the House Rules Committee. It has yet to be okayed in any Senate committees.

The stadium legislation was released Friday afternoon following the agreement Gov. Mark Dayton, Minneapolis leaders and Vikings owners announced March 1. It proposes constructing a 65,000 seat roofed-stadium near the current Metrodome site for $975 million. $398 million would come from the state, funded by electronic pulltabs. Minneapolis would cover $150 million of the cost and the Vikings would pay the remaining $427 million.