The pressure level definitely has increased in St. Paul. The nation is now watching lawmakers to see whether they can do their jobs and find a viable solution to the question of a pro football stadium.

USA Today, ESPN, NBC, CBS and newspapers in NFL cities across America have reported on this issue.

The problem in past years has been consistent: The can gets kicked down the road — not just with the Vikings stadium but with so many issues: education, state parks, health care reimbursements, funding the courts, transportation, you name it. If the lawmakers can put it off, they tend to.

It took a freeway bridge to collapse and being a national embarrassment for them to wake up and address transportation. It is taking the Vikings being on the verge of leaving town for them to wake up and get their act together on a stadium deal.

As the Tribune Editorial Board, we might not agree with exactly how the stadium plan will look in the end — especially the gambling revenue aspect — but the lawmakers did have a job of producing something, anything to replace the old and worn out Metrodome because, after years of procrastination by lawmakers, constituents made it clear they wanted action this session.

Finally, this year, there is no more next year to revisit the issue. Lawmakers are finally on the hook and must perform. In Minnesota politics, that’s when they do.

It is notable, perhaps even laughable, how lawmakers in our fair state so much favor inaction over action until the last possible second. It’s probably easier to get re-elected that way. However, there’s nothing like a solid pass-or-fail deadline to get work done. Throw in the national spotlight and the threat of being a laughingstock (which is: yet another Minnesota sports team leaving, despite being the 15th largest TV market in the country) and, wham, work gets done.