Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has written a letter to the Menominee Tribe, rejecting its recent offer to give 0 million for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena in exchange for allowing the tribe to build an 0 million casino in Kenosha. Walker had earlier rejected the proposed casino, stating Wisconsin taxpayers could be responsible for compensating the Forest County Potawatomi hundreds of millions of dollars for infringing on that tribe’s exclusive right to gambling in southeastern Wisconsin. The Menominee said they would cover those losses too but Walker also rejected that proposal.
In the letter, Walker questioned the seriousness of the Bucks arena offer plus potential legal issues. He wrote, “It is important to note we have received no specific information related to the new bond.” Walker also noted that helping to fund the Bucks arena never was proposed during 18 months of negations over the Kenosha casino. He wrote, “There was an opportunity to bring forward such a proposal and have it vetted by our team of independent economists, which was not done.” Walker also noted that one provision of the Menominee’s $220 million arena offers was to bar the Ho-Chunk Nation’s proposed casino in Beloit. “You stated that one of the goals of the offer was to block a future Beloit casino,” Walker wrote.
Tribal members took another unsuccessful approach to having Walker change his mind, marching 155 miles from their northeastern Wisconsin reservation to Madison, where they faced minus 15-degree wind chills. Several hundred tribal members and supporters, many wearing full traditional dress, played drums and chanted, holding signs reading “It’s more than a casino, it’s our future” and “Moving forward despite you.”
Inside the Capitol rotunda, Menominee Chairman Gary Besaw said, “Governor Walker, please hear me. I come to you today to speak to you. I represent the voices of our great Menominee Nation.” Besaw then walked to the governor’s office, followed by reporters and television news crews, where he was stopped by a Capitol Police officer. “We hope our songs open his heart,” Besaw said. But although the federal government had approved the Menominee’s application, the final word was with Walker. He had until February 19 to announce his decision, which he did on January 23.
Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch, Walker’s top aide, met with Menominee officials at least 15 times and Walker also has met with tribal leaders. Menominee officials said Walker had not met with the tribe since October 2013.
Bruce Murphy, editor at Urban Milwaukee, wrote a column questioning Walker’s rejection of the Kenosha casino. “This is one of the most astounding political decisions I’ve seen in more than three decades of covering state and local politics. The Walker administration had an outside attorney look that this and he concluded that it was unlikely that Potawatomi would push this issue. Basically, he concluded that there wasn’t much to worry about.” Murphy and others suspect Walker’s action was based on “pleasing Iowa conservatives who came forward, wrote him a letter and said that they did not want him to back this Kenosha casino. Iowa would be very critical to Walker’s hopes of winning the Republican presidential primary.”
Despite the current defeat, Menominee legislator Craig Corn said, “Even if the casino doesn’t go, we stood up. We fight for what we believe in. We fight for the future of our kids. We didn’t lie down.”
With Kenosha out of the picture, Illinois communities are looking at ways to lure Hard Rock International, which partnered with the Menominee tribe to operate the Kenosha casino. Hard Rock International Chief Executive Officer Jim Allen said, “If it doesn’t happen in Kenosha, 100 percent we believe it’s going to happen on the Illinois side of the border.” Allen said he’s already fielding calls from Illinois.
Four years ago, then-Governor Pat Quinn wrote, “A Lake County casino brings back Illinois dollars that are currently being spent at Potawatomi Casino in Milwaukee.” Governor Bruce Rauner recently said he’s open to expanding gaming in northern Illinois. “A lot of our residents leave and give big tax revenue to Indiana. I’m not sure that’s very smart,” he said. Regarding a potential Hard Rock casino in northern Illinois, Kenosha Gaming Authority Director Eric Olson said, “I hope that they take every amount of business they can from Potawatomi if that opens up down there.”
