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Peter Roff: Congress should close Tohono O'odham Nation casino

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Huge crowds turned out for the opening of the Desert Diamond Casino - West Valley in Glendale, Arizona, on December 20, 2015. Photo from Facebook

The Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona opened the doors to a new casino last month yet some people are still calling for Congress to pass H.R.308, the Keep the Promise Act, a bill that would force the tribe to shut down the facility:

The only place this can be settled then is in the U.S. Congress, where members at the committee level have already given their approval to H.R. 308, the Keep the Promise Act of 2015 which would require all parties to return to the positions they agreed to as ratified by Arizona voters.
The legislation has the support of the governor, many members of the state legislature, and most of the Indian tribes. It is however stuck in Congress for the bizarre reason that its opponents have managed to cast it as an increase in spending based on the Tohono O’Odham’s threat to sue the federal government for $1 billion if it becomes law as recompense for an unconstitutional takings.
The bill requires the federal government to spend no money. To argue it does sounds more like legislative sleight-of-hand coming from a fast-talking K Street lobbyist but it’s been enough to derail the only thing that for the moment can set things right in Arizona. Hopefully the budgeteers on Capitol Hill will get it right in order to preserve good policy.

Get the Story:
Peter Roff: Congress must decide Indian casino controversy (The Hill 1/26)