KBIC leaders to discuss fate of off-reservation casino proposal

Thursday, June 20, 2013  

Leaders of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community are meeting today to discuss an off-reservation casino that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) rejected.

The tribe wants to move the Ojibwa II Casino to a new site that's closer to its headquarters. The Bureau of Indian Affairs approved the plan in December 2011 but Snyder refused to concur in a decision that raised issues that weren't related to the casino.

Snyder took action under the two-part determination provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The law does not dictate what standards a governor can use to judge an off-reservation casino but the Turtle Talk blog suggested that his decision could be used to demonstrate bad faith since he makes demands for revenue sharing without offering any meaningful concessions.

In the decision, Snyder notes that a 2001 consent decree requires the state to give "due consideration" to the proposed casino at the former Marquette County Airport.

Get the Story:
Snyder casino refusal linked to Marquette-area gas station (The Marquette Mining Journal 6/20)

Michigan governor won't agree to KBIC off-reservation casino (6/19)