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St. Paul (AP) ― The Minnesota Twins' ballpark hopes -- dashed time and again -- rest with a gatekeeping House committee, which opened hearings Wednesday into the team's $522 million stadium plan.

Two years ago, the House Taxes Committee spent six days reviewing and revising a Twins stadium bill. It squeaked through but never received a full House vote.

The committee's consideration of the current proposal is scheduled to continue Thursday night, when the panel relocates to Bloomington and turns the microphone over to members of the public. Depending on the length of testimony, a final vote could be delayed until Friday.

One key issue the committee must decide is whether a proposed Hennepin County sales tax increase can be implemented without a voter referendum as state law requires.

Hennepin County Commissioner Mike Opat said the ballpark deal will fall through if the Legislature doesn't extend a referendum waiver. Construction experts working for the Twins told the panel that costs have climbed $80 million the last three years alone, driven by inflation in steel and concrete prices.

The ballpark debate has vexed local and state lawmakers for a decade.

"As I look around this room, there's a few of us were just finishing up high school when the Legislature started debating this issue," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Brad Finstad.

Finstad, R-New Ulm, concluded: "Finally once and for all, let's put this stadium issue behind us and move on to bigger and better things."

Major league baseball has ushered in 17 new ballparks since 1991, with 11 of those involving county taxes, Opat said. An 18th park, for the Washington Nationals, was just approved. There are 30 major league baseball teams.

The Twins' 42,000-seat, open-air ballpark would be built on a 20-acre site in downtown Minneapolis. The proposed 0.15 percent sales tax would fall on purchases in every corner of Hennepin County's 391,040 acres.

The sales tax -- applied on everything from DVDs to hammers to computers -- amounts to 15 cents on every $100 purchase. Excluded from the tax are clothing, food, medical supplies and automobiles.

The tax would generate $392 million. For his part, Twins owner Carl Pohlad would kick in $130 million upfront.

Rep. Kurt Zellers, a Republican whose Maple Grove constituents would feel the effects of a higher sales tax, senses that backers finally outnumber opponents.

"At 86 counties to one, I think it's probably got a pretty good chance to pass," Zellers said. "For a Hennepin County legislator, that's really troubling. They're the Minnesota Twins, not the Hennepin County Twins."

Only eight of the committee's 29 members represent part of Hennepin County.

A longtime foe of public stadium subsidies, Rep. Phil Krinkie also suggested it would be tough to derail the plan. Krinkie, R-Lino Lakes, said the Twins have worn down legislative opposition through years of lobbying.

"Those inside the marble kingdom have tired of it," he said, referring to the Capitol. "I don't think public opinion has changed one iota. They do not believe taxpayer money should be financing these billionaire sports facilities."

If the ballpark plan wins approval this year, construction would begin in summer 2007 and should be completed in time for the 2010 season.

Lorraine Pizzella of St. Paul said she's been going to Twins games since the team started playing in Minnesota in 1961. Pizzella told lawmakers during public testimony on Wednesday that she wants to go to a season-opening night in a new, open-air stadium.

"I'm going to be 85 in September, so you guys better hurry up," she said.

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The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission owns The Metrodome.

(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)