Artist's rendering of the West Valley Resort under construction in Arizona. Image from Facebook
A bill to prevent the Tohono O'odham Nation from opening a new casino in Arizona won't be considered this week. The Keep the Promise Act (S.152 | H.R.308) does not mention any tribes by name. Instead, it bars Class II and Class III gaming on land placed in trust in the "Phoenix metropolitan area" after April 9, 2013 -- a situation that only applies to the Tohono O'odham Nation. The bill was placed on the House calendar this week under a procedure normally reserved for non-controversial bills. It would not have received a roll call vote and it wouldn't have been open for debate. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona), the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, and several officials in Arizona objected to the process, Capitol Media Service reported. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California), the Republican Majority Leader, agreed to pull it from the calendar in response to the complaints.
Arizona Casino Wars: Tribes battle over new gaming facility in the Phoenix area
The tribe plans to open the West Valley Resort in December. The facility is located in Glendale, a suburb on the western side of Phoenix. The tribe will only be offering Class II games for now because the state refuses to certify the facility under the Class III gaming compact. The state claims the tribe pursued the casino by deceitful means. Judge David Campbell, however, ruled that the compact does not limit the tribe's ability to pursue the new casino. The state, along with rival tribes with existing facilities, have taken the case to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Get the Story:
Resolution to block West Valley casino taken off House vote llist (Capitol Media Services 10/24)
Taxpayer advocate warns 1 vote could cost U.S. $1 billion (World News Daily 10/24)
Bill to Stop Tohono O'odham's Glendale Casino Delayed (Arizona Public Media 10/26) Some Opinions:
EJ Montini: Gutless move made to kill Glendale casino (The Arizona Republic 10/24)
Paul D. Bocconcelli: Wrong, Congressman Franks, wrong (Your West Valley 10/25)
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