Wisconsin governor noncommittal on off-reservation casino plan

Wednesday, August 17, 2011  

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) won't state his position on off-reservation gaming.

But when he was Milwaukee County executive, he opposed the Menominee Nation off-reservation casino in Kenosha. Now that he's in charge of the state, he'll get to determine whether the tribe can build the facility.

"We will evaluate this casino after the federal government completes its review," a spokesperson for the governor told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The tribe is pursuing the casino under the two-part determination section of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The state and the federal government must both agree to the casino.

In the history of IGRA, only three tribes have opened off-reservation casinos under the two-part determination.

Get the Story:
Menominee application for Kenosha casino to receive fresh look (The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 8/17)

Bush Administration Off-Reservation Gaming Policy:
Guidance on taking off-reservation land into trust for gaming purposes (January 3, 2008)

Related Stories:
Menominee Nation settles lawsuit over off-reservation casino bid (8/16)
Tribes hopeful with reversal on off-reservation gaming policy (6/15)
Echo Hawk pulls controversial off-reservation gaming memo (6/14)

From the Indianz.Com Archive:
Wisconsin tribe vows fight for off-reservation casino (1/8)