Artist's rendering of the proposed Menominee Nation off-reservation casino. Image from Casino Kenosha
Fresh off his election day victory, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) plans to take his time on the Menominee Nation off-reservation casino. Walker has until February 2015 to respond to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He indicated he will wait as long as possible to announce his decision. “We have to make it by this spring. We'll probably use the full 18 months," Walker told WISN 12 News on Thursday. The $810 million casino in Kenosha enjoys strong local support. But the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe, whose Class III gaming compact includes provisions to address a potential competitor, remains opposed. The Potawatomis have been withholding gaming revenues from the state as a result. Walker said he is trying to determine whether the Menominee casino can address any shortfalls. "The challenge, of course, is because of Gov. Doyle, the compacts he left us with could cost the state about a $100 million or more, so we don't want to create a big hole in the next project. A lot of it depends on what we can negotiate, and whether or not we can get away from that big hole,” Walker told WISN. The Potawatomi compact was negotiated by former governor Jim Doyle (D). The BIA approved the Kenosha casino in August 2013 under the two-part determination provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The law gives Walker veto authority over the project. Typically, the governor gets a year to respond. But Walker requested and received a six-month extension, a move that was supported by the Menominee Nation. Get the Story:
Election's over; focus returns to Kenosha casino (WISN 11/6)
Kenosha casino decision process may last until February, Gov. Walker says (The Milwaukee Business Journal 11/6) Bureau of Indian Affairs Documents:
Press Release | Fact Sheet: Menominee Nation Decision | Section 20 Determination: Menominee Nation Off-Reservation Casino
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