Artist's rendering of the proposed Menominee Nation off-reservation casino. Image from Casino Kenosha
Mike Huebsch, the secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration, says it's up to the Menominee Nation to meet three criteria in order to open an off-reservation casino:
On Aug. 23, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell approved the Menominee tribe's initial proposal for an off-reservation casino. Any new casinos must be approved first by the secretary of the Interior, which houses the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and finally, by the governor. Early in his term, Gov. Scott Walker met with tribal members and outlined the three criteria necessary for his approval of a new casino: no new net gaming, consensus among the 11 tribes and community support. These criteria will ensure any potential casino proposals will be evaluated fairly by the same set of clear standards. Beyond this, these criteria provide an unbiased set of requirements that must be met by any tribe pursuing a new casino. It is important to consider the will of the people in evaluating this decision. In 1993, Wisconsin voters decisively passed an advisory referendum recommending gambling casinos should be limited in the state. Thus, the requirement for any new casino to not increase the total net gambling reflects the direction from Wisconsinites on this issue.Get the Story:
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