Michigan off-reservation gaming bills delayed

Friday, November 16, 2007  

The House Natural Resources Committee was due to consider two off-reservation gaming bills on Thursday but they were delayed due to opposition from Michigan.

H.R. 2176 and H.R. 4115 settle land claims for the Bay Mills Indian Community and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, respectively. The bills allow the tribes to open casinos away from their existing reservations.

The bills have the support of some members of Michigan's Congressional delegation. But Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Michigan) opposes them and got House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) to pull them from the committee's markup yesterday, The Detroit Free Press reported. Rep. John Conyers (D-Michigan) also opposes the legislation, the paper said.

"I will not call up those bills today," Rep. Nick Rahall (D-West Virginia), the chairman of the committee, said yesterday in response to the controversy.

Get the Story:
City's casino hopes fade in Congress (The Port Huron Times 11/16)
Casino bills stopped again (The Detroit Free Press 11/16)
Dice yet to be rolled on new casinos (SooToday 11/15)