In an interview with PlayMichigan, Little River Band Tribal Ogema Larry Romanelli said he called Governor Gretchen Whitmer to meet with her and obtain her approval for a tribal casino near Fruitport Township in Muskegon County.
Whitmer rejected the tribe’s proposal for a second casino last June. At the time, the Grand River Bands were seeking federal recognition and claimed the same land near Fruitport Township.
Whitmer felt approving the Little River Band’s casino project could lead to oversaturation of gaming in the area. If the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) had granted the Grand River Bands federal recognition, the agency may have taken its land into trust for casino gambling. Then the Grand River Bands could have negotiated a gaming compact and operated a tribal casino.
But the BIA rejected the Grand River Bands’ application for federal recognition in March. The tribe has time to appeal that decision, or the U.S. Congress could grant the tribe federal recognition. Meanwhile, its claim to land near Fruitport Township is no longer a barrier to the Little River Band’s proposed casino.
Romanelli told PlayMichigan, “I have a call in to the governor to meet with her to see what her thoughts are now. Throughout the last year, that’s been the holdup, waiting for the federal recognition. One shouldn’t really depend on the other, but I understand her point. But now the determination has been brought forward. I think that we’re pretty much ready to go, in my mind anyway. I’m looking for the governor to approve the project.”
Romanelli added, “When the governor rejected that first package, it does give us a few more hoops to go through in that we have to resubmit another package. The Department of the Interior has stated that it won’t be a lengthy process once we resubmit that package. We have plans whenever the governor gives us a green light from the state to go ahead and resubmit.”
Observers said a meeting between the governor and Romanelli is likely, as well as approval for the tribe to proceed with its proposed casino. However, they said, Whitmer may wait to see if the Grand River Bands appeal the BIA ruling and how that may play out.
