— State Sen. Julie Rosen stiff-armed several potential killer amendments to the Vikings stadium subsidy bill for nearly eight hours Tuesday only to see the fragile financing agreement between state officials and the team collapse during the ninth hour of debate.

Rosen had methodically fended off numerous adjustments that threatened to cause the Vikings to withdraw from the agreement to build the $975 million Minneapolis stadium. That changed in a dramatic way just before 9:30 p.m. when a last-second vote-switch gutted the financing plan negotiated by state officials, the city of Minneapolis and the owners of the National Football League team.

The amendment — offered by Sen. John Howe, R-Red Wing — changed the method for financing the state’s $398 million share of the stadium from one based on an expansion of charitable gambling to one based on charges to stadium users. The Vikings had sent a letter to lawmakers on Sunday specifically rejecting Howe’s approach as unworkable, essentially saying steep user-fees would drive up costs to fans so much that attendance would plunge.

When the amendment came up for a vote, the Senate vote board stayed open for more than a minute as a handful of senators waited each other out and the tally looked like it could fall either way. When all senators finally had cast a red or green vote on the electronic board, it totaled 33-34 — which would have meant the user-fee approach had been rejected and the stadium plan was still intact.

Just as it was announced that the vote was being locked in, one of the “no” votes switched to “yes” — passing the Howe amendment 34-33.

Only lawmakers who voted for the amendment are allowed to call for a re-vote. Moments later, Sen. Jim Metzen — a South St. Paul Democrat and 38-year-veteran of the Legislature — did just that, apparently deciding that an amendment that could kill the stadium needed more discussion.

Some of the most impassioned arguments of the night ensued as lawmakers prepared to reconsider their vote.

“Gambling works only if we have a certain number of addicts. We know that,” Howe said, arguing against the negotiated stadium bill’s reliance on new electronic pull-tab machines.

He suggested the pull-tab machines in bars across Minnesota would hit low-income Minnesotans hardest, transferring money from them to Zygi Wilf, the Vikings majority owner who has a reported net worth of $1.3 billion.

“Tax the rich?” Howe asked. “No. This current proposal taxes the poor.”

If the Senate reversed its 34-33 vote, it would show wealth rules at the Capitol, the freshman Republican said.

“That tells me the rich get what they want,” Howe said.

Rosen reacted with strong emotion for the first time in the marathon debate.

She noted that everybody at the Capitol said they wanted to see a stadium approved and didn’t want the Vikings to leave Minnesota.

“Well members, how do you have a stadium if you don’t have a partner?” she said, referring to the team. “... We just keep smacking them around. ‘Shame on you for being a partner. Shame on you for being a billionaire.’”

Rosen said the Senate can make changes to the bill and send it to a conference committee to work out differences with the House, which passed its plan Monday night. But she warned that radical changes in the deal worked out with the Vikings and the city would kill the stadium.

“Members, you better think twice about this amendment,” she said.

Sen. Tom Bakk, a Democrat from Cook who sponsored the stadium bill in previous sessions, said time is literally running. Just two days remain where the House and Senate can meet in session and can pass legislation, and it appears that some lawmakers are trying to use those days up before a final stadium bill can be passed.

“Clearly, there are other forces at work that want to run out the clock on this session,” Bakk said.

The second vote on the user-fee amendment reversed the result, failing on a 30-35. “No” votes were cast each time by Rosen; Sen. Kathy Sheran, DFL-Mankato; and Sen. Gary Dahms, R-Redwood Falls. Sen. Al DeKruif, R-Elysian, voted for the user-fee approach both times. Sen. Mike Parry, Waseca, voted for user fees on the first round and didn’t vote the second time.

So Rosen was back in business and back to fending off amendments as the debate dragged on toward 11 p.m.

A Fairmont Republican whose district includes most of rural Blue Earth County, Rosen voluntarily made changes to the negotiated agreement when kicking off the discussion just before 1 p.m.

She altered the bill negotiated with Wilf to bump the team’s share by $25 million from the $427 million Wilf had agreed to. And she added a second revenue source for the state’s share, supplementing the expanded charitable gambling revenue with fees on game-day parking and on purchases of high-price stadium suites and sports memorabilia sold at the stadium.

The modifications weren’t enough for several senators seeking more from the team and less reliance on new electronic pull-tab machines in bars.

Successful amendments included an inflationary increase on the team’s annual payment for stadium operating expenses and an end to the team’s 5-year exclusive right to bring a professional soccer franchise to Minneapolis.

The Senate version of the legislation to finance the $975 million Minneapolis stadium is different in several ways from the one that passed the House late Monday on a 73-58 vote. A major difference is the House amendment that boosted the team’s contribution by $105 million.

Assuming passage of the Senate bill late Tuesday or early this morning, a conference committee would need to work out a compromise bill — presumably one that Wilf would accept — and bring it back to the House and Senate for final passage later this week.