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St. Paul (AP) ― The Minnesota House gave the Twins stadium hopes a big lift Wednesday, voting 76-55 in favor of an open-air ballpark that would be paid for mostly by Hennepin County taxpayers.

The focus now shifts to the state Senate, where the proposed increase in the county's sales tax could run into some early trouble. The Senate Tax Committee, headed by a foe of the plan, will begin its deliberations on Thursday.

The downtown Minneapolis stadium project would cost $522 million -- three-fourths from a higher Hennepin County sales tax -- and would allow the Twins to flee the Metrodome, their home since 1982 and the place where they clinched two World Series crowns.

"We're overwhelmed by it," Jerry Bell, president of Twins Sports, Inc., said of the vote. "It was more votes than we expected." Bell was in the gallery during the voting and gave high-fives to other team officials when the vote came down.

A majority of Hennepin County legislators opposed the bill, a point not lost on critics.

"A quarter of members in this room are from Hennepin County and we are steamrolling them," said Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-Lakeville. "I'm going to say to the taxpayers of Hennepin County that I'm sorry."

The biggest showdown was over a waiver letting the county boost its sales tax without voter approval. An attempt to require a referendum failed 66-64. Another to add a retractable roof with proceeds from a proposed statewide tax also went down, as did one requiring the Twins to pay half of the cost.

In the House chamber, one legislator had a baseball jersey draped over his chair and another had a Kirby Puckett figurine on his desk. Bell paced outside the chamber like an expectant father during part of the debate, which lasted more than seven hours.

The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Brad Finstad of New Ulm, urged his colleagues to give the county the go-ahead so the 10-year stadium debate would be concluded once and for all.

"It's a fine-tuned, well-negotiated agreement between the Minnesota Twins and Hennepin County," Finstad said. "This is the opportunity for us to get a ballpark built for the Minnesota Twins without state money."

A state law requires local governments to put sales tax increases to a referendum. But the county and the Twins say it would cause too much uncertainty and increase the project's cost.

Rep. Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington, pushed to require the referendum. She said it was the least the Legislature could do on an issue dividing the residents of the state's most-populous county.

"We can't stop this. We can see this," she said. "The body has decided that it's OK to tax a subset of Minnesota to buy something for everyone else in Minnesota."

Rep. Phil Krinkie, R-Lino Lakes, joined her fight. "Even if you allow the citizens of Hennepin County to vote, the Twins will still be here," he said.

But Rep. Neil Peterson, R-Bloomington, said he watched the Minnesota North Stars leave town while he was mayor of their host city. He said he fears a similar fate for the Twins if the ballpark plan stumbles.

"Some of us were sent here to lead," he said, adding, "Had we had a referendum on the Mall of America it would have never been built."

One amendment that prevailed would require the Twins ownership to share sale proceeds from any sale of the team and direct that money toward repayment of stadium debt. The county would get 18 percent of the gross sale price, under the premise that a new stadium makes the franchise more valuable.

Twins owner Carl Pohlad would be required to put $130 million into the project upfront before the stadium opens and the team would make annual payments for upkeep. They expect the building to generate $40 million a year for the franchise.

Even with House consent, there is no guarantee the Senate will pass identical language on the stadium bill.

In fact, the chairman of the Senate Tax Committee has hinted he'll put forward an alternative financing plan. Sen. Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, has scheduled a Thursday hearing on the bill. His committee is comprised of several lawmakers who have expressed concern with the current bill.

If there are any differences, the House would have to vote again once a compromise is struck.

Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty supports the proposal, but he said he would prefer the 0.15 percent sales tax go to voters. The tax amounts to three cents on every $20 spent, excluding purchases of clothing, food, medical supplies and automobiles.

"There has been no perfect proposal over the years, they all have some flaws," he said Wednesday.

"We're not going to lose the Minnesota Twins on my watch," Pawlenty said.

If the bill passes this year, the Twins say the new ballpark would open in time for the 2010 season.

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The Metrodome opened in 1982.

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