In Wisconsin, the Stockbridge-Munsee and Menominee tribes expressed concern over the million expansion at the Ho-Chunk Wittenberg that will include a larger casino, restaurant and bar. The tribes said the project, where ground recently was broken, does not follow Governor Scott Walker’s criteria for casino growth, which were used to stop a Menominee casino in Kenosha.
However, Walker’s spokesman Steve Michels said, “The question in the Kenosha casino proposal was whether private land would be taken into trust by the United States for the Menominee so a tribal casino could be constructed on that land. In such a case, the governor has broad authority to approve or deny taking the private land into trust. In this case, the question is whether the Ho-Chunk Nation’s expansion on the parcel violates the provisions of the Ho-Chunk Nation’s compact. It does not.” Ho-Chunk and state officials said the tribe is complying with the 2003 compact.
Stockbridge-Munsee President Shannon Holsey explained the tribe believes the Walker administration may not fully understand that the project could lead to more expansions by the Ho-Chunk and at least two other tribes.
State Senator Rob Cowles stated, “The larger tribes have to be more sensitive to what I would call the less economically advantaged poorer tribes. We’ve got a flock of smaller tribes that are struggling. If the larger tribes don’t show some concern about that, it’s not fair.”
