Tribal Casino News - 2004
December 31, 2004
The Sault Tribe of
Chippewa Indians and Kewadin Casinos distributed its second 2004
gaming revenue disbursement in the amount of $1,098,295.62 to
various local governmental agencies. The money will go toward street
construction, police and fire department upgrades, the purchase of
emergency response vehicles, recreation services, and community and
school programs.
December 16, 2004
The Gun Lake Band of
Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Pottawatomi Indians released the results of
a poll conducted by the Mellman Group concerning the tribe's Wayland
Township casino plan. The Gun Lake Band says the poll indicates
support for the casino by 51 percent of registered Allegan,
Kalamazoo and Kent county voters; 61 percent of the voters believe
excluding the Gun Lake Band from building a casino is wrong; and 70
percent of the poll responders believe the casino will create
additional jobs. Poll results are based on answers from 800
registered voters with a margin of error of 3.5 percent.
December 8, 2004
The Michigan State
Senate reversed itself with regard to a Resolution calling for the
approval of a casino compact with the Gun Lake Band of
Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Pottawatomi Indians. Former Governor Engler
did not sign the compact in 2002, Governor Granholm has not entered
into a compact with the tribe, and the Senate has now withdrawn its
support for a compact.
September 16, 2004
House Bill 6038 is
expected to be discussed by the House Government Operations
Committee on Wednesday, September 22. This proposed legislation
would allow state and/or local governments to install toll booths on
roads leading to American Indian casinos within one mile of the
casino.
September 14, 2004
In a 4-3 split, the
city of Muskegon Commissioners voted to support federal recognition
of the Grand River Band of Ottawa Indians. Last week, the Muskegon
County Board of Commissioners also passed a resolution supporting
federal recognition of the tribe. The tribe has sought federal
recognition since approximately 1994.
July 30, 2004
On July 30, 2004, the
Michigan Supreme Court ruled (with a 5-2 vote) that the Michigan
Legislature's 1998 approval of gaming compacts was not in violation
of the state constitution. In the lead opinion, Chief Justice Maura
Corrigan wrote, "In approving those compacts by resolution, the
Legislature did not modify Michigan law in any respect. Instead, the
Legislature simply expressed its approval of valid contracts between
two independent, sovereign entities (the state of Michigan and each
of the four tribes)."
June 30, 2004
The largest federally
recognized Indian tribe east of the Mississippi, the Sault Ste.
Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, elected Aaron Payment as its new
Tribal Chairman. Payment defeated incumbent Bernard Bouschor by 162
votes. Bouschor had served in that office for 17 years.
June 24, 2004
The U.S. House of
Representatives has scheduled hearings for 2 p.m. on U.S. House Bill
831, which seeks to approve the settlement of land claims of the Bay
Mills Indian Community, and House Bill 2793, which seeks to approve
the settlement of land claims of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of
Chippewa Indians. Under agreements with former Governor Engler, the
Bay Mills Indian Tribe would be permitted to acquire land in Port
Huron, Michigan, in exchange for Upper Peninsula Michigan land.
Former Governor Engler also entered into a separate agreement with
the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe to acquire land in Monroe, Romulus, or
Flint as well as a parcel in the northern Lower Peninsula. If
Congress approves the land-claim settlement, the tribes would be
permitted to pursue Class III gaming facilities on these lands.
June 22, 2004
Reps. Mike Pumford
(R-Newaygo County) and Larry Julian (R-Shiawassee County) introduced
House Bill 6038, a proposal to impose a $5 toll on vehicles visiting
a tribal casino. The proceeds for tolls collected on a state highway
would go to the Michigan transportation fund, while tolls collected
on highways under county, city or village jurisdiction would go to
the municipality. Provisions for building toll booths and/or
barriers on roads within one mile of the casinos are included. The
Bill was referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
June 11, 2004
Lakes Entertainment,
Inc. announced significant progress in its bid to build a casino in
New Buffalo, Michigan, with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.
A local casino opposition group, Taxpayers of Michigan Against
Casinos (TOMAC), has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the
casino but recent court rulings have been favorable to the casino.
The Justice Department's response to TOMAC's claim is due June 18,
2004, after which the parties will await the court's decision.
May 13, 2004
The Michigan House of
Representatives adopted two resolutions seeking to encourage the
U.S. Congress to implement a 36 percent federal wagering tax on
gross receipts at Native American casinos and redistribute the
revenues to the states of origin. House Resolution 257 was adopted
with 68 yes and 34 no votes. The Concurrent Resolution 257 now goes
to the Michigan Senate for action. Please note that House Resolution
257 and House Concurrent Resolution are advisory in nature.
April 9, 2004
The U.S. District
Court for the Western District of Michigan approved the settlement
reached between the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Indians and two of the three Detroit casinos (Greektown and
MotorCity). The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals had remanded the
matter back to the District Court to consider whether the settlement
was appropriate and where approval of the settlement would prejudice
the non-settling party (MGM Grand Detroit).
March 24, 2004
The Detroit Free
Press reported the U.S. House of Representative's Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure approved a $275 billion
transportation bill that included provisions that would resolve two
outstanding land claim settlements with the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe
of Chippewa Indians and the Bay Mills Indian Community. Approval of
the legislation with the land claim settlement language included
could result in the development of a Class III Tribal casino in both
Romulus and Port Huron, Michigan. Under the land claim settlement
agreements negotiated with former Governor John Engler, both the
Sault Ste. Marie and Bay Mills Indian Tribes would agree to give the
state eight percent of the revenues on slot machine winnings from
their Romulus and Port Huron casinos. In addition, the Tribes would
also pay the state eight percent on slot revenues from their six
out-state Tribal casinos, which currently are not required to share
revenues with the state because of a violation in their 1993 Consent
Judgment.
March 11, 2004
Oral arguments are
scheduled before the Michigan Supreme Court concerning a lawsuit
challenging the method used by the state Legislature to approve
Compacts with four different Indian Tribes in the state. The
compacts Governor Engler negotiated with the Little River Band of
Ottawa Indians, the Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians, the Pokagon
Band of Potawatomi Indians and the Little Traverse Band of Odawa
Indians are involved as they were approved by resolution rather than
legislative enactment. Taxpayers of Michigan Against Casinos filed
the suit claiming that the legislative approval process was flawed
because there was no formal enactment.
March 8, 2004
Kenneth Ermatinger,
executive, director, Gaming Commission, Sault St. Marie Tribe of
Chippewa Indians, was appointed to a Joint Federal-Tribal Class II
Game Classification Standards Advisory Committee with six other
appointees. National Indian Gaming Commission Chairman Phil Hogan
announced the selection indicating, "In light of the recent U.S.
Supreme Court decision to deny petitions for certiorari in United
States v. Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska and Ashcroft v.
Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma, our efforts to provide guidance in
distinguishing between Class II and Class III games will be even
more important."
February 23, 2004
The Grand Traverse
Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians named Ron Olson as the new CEO
of Traverse Bay Entertainment, which oversees the operation of the
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, along with the Leelanau Sands Casino
in Peshawbestown and the Turtle Creek Casino in Williamsburg. Since
2000, Mr. Olson has served as general manager of Victories Casino
and Hotel in Petoskey, Michigan and is very familiar with the
northern Michigan casino gaming market. Chris Bussey, assistant
executive director for the Grand Traverse Tribe, told the Traverse
City Record-Eagle that Mr. Olson eventually may look at creating
a casino at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, purchased by the
Tribe in March of 2003 for $66 million. Before considering this
move, Mr. Olson will be working on becoming familiar with Traverse
Bay Entertainment's existing casino and lodging enterprises.
