Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) said on Thursday she will finally negotiate a gaming compact with the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians now that legal obstacles have been cleared to the tribe's land-into-trust request.
Granholm has previously supported the tribe's right to gaming. But she never signed a compact for Class III games. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has since agreed to take 147 acres into trust for the tribe for an initial reservation. A non-Indian group tried to block the acquisition but lost in court. The tribe released a study yesterday that showed 50 percent of West Michigan residents support the casino. Get the Story: