Lawmaker halts bill that targeted Tohono O'odham casino

Monday, March 29, 2010  

A bill that seeks to prevent the Tohono O'odham Nation from pursuing an off-reservation casino has been killed, Capitol Media Services reports.

Arizona House passed HB2297 with the minimum number of votes. But it won't be considered in the Arizona Senate at all.

"I'm not sure this is something we should be involved in," Senate President Bob Burns (R) told Capitol Media Services. "This is a fight between the Tohono O'odham Nation and the city of Glendale."

The bill would have allowed the city to annex 135 acres of tribal-owned fee land without the tribe's consent. Annexation would have presumably stopped the tribe from having the site placed in trust for a casino.

The tribe bought the land in 2003. Normally, land acquired after the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 can't be used for gaming.

But the law contains an exception for land acquired in connection with a land claim settlement. Congress passed the Gila Bend Indian Reservation Lands Replacement Act that says the Tohono O'odham Nation can acquire "unincorporated" land.

Get the Story:
State bid to block casino is scrapped (Capitol Media Services 3/29)

Earlier Stories:
Editorial: Casino foes seek to steal Tohono O'odham land (3/24)
Tohono O'odham Nation sues over off-reservation casino (3/23)
Tohono O'odham Nation slams bill targeting casino bid (3/18)
Vote planned on bill targeting Tohono O'odham casino (3/16)
Tohono O'odham Nation loses ruling in gaming site case (3/12)
NCAI joins Tohono O'odham off-reservation casino fight (3/9)
Tohono O'odham off-reservation casino bid still at BIA (3/8)
Bill affects Tohono O'odham off-reservation casino bid (2/26)
Bill targets Tohono O'odham off-reservation casino bid (2/3)
Tohono O'odham Nation 'more committed' to casino (1/28)
Sen. Kyl voices opposition to Tohono O'odham casino (1/27)
McCain joins opposition to off-reservation casino bid (1/21)
Tohono O'odham Nation won't drop off-reservation bid (1/20)