Gov. Scott Walker
Governor Scott Walker says he’s still thinking over the Menominee Indian Tribe’s plans to build a casino in Kenosha.
In a statement released late Tuesday, the governor says the process is ongoing and “very complicated,” due largely to existing compacts with the tribes, which were negotiated by then-Governor Jim Doyle. He says “Due to the compact amendments negotiated by Governor Doyle, the proposed casino could cost the State hundreds of millions of dollars over multiple years, so we want to make sure the project does not have an adverse impact on our state’s taxpayers and the budget. Tribes with casinos make yearly revenue sharing payments to the State, and we have already seen an impact on the state budget because of the Potawatomi’s decision in June to withhold their required payment.”
Walker says a Potawatomi compact amendment that was chosen by an arbitrator has been submitted to the federal government for review. If approved, it would require the state to make payments to the Potawatomi to help off-set any financial losses at the tribe’s Milwaukee casino.
The governor stresses the amendment is not an indications of whether he plans to approve or reject the casino. He says it’s just another step in the process of gathering information about the impact of the project. Walker says he continues to “work toward a win on all fronts” as he considers the proposal.