From the Detroit Free Press:
WASHINGTON – The House Judiciary Committee is set to work on a couple of bills on Wednesday that would allow for two new Indian casinos in Michigan – even though another committee has already approved them.
It could set up an interesting jurisdictional question for the House.
A couple months ago, the Natural Resources Committee voted overwhelmingly in favor of the two pieces of legislation, which would authorize land swaps with two tribes, resulting in new casinos in Romulus and Port Huron. That vote was expected to send the bills to the House floor.
But Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, a Detroit Democrat and an opponent of the bills, scheduled a hearing on the bills, ostensibly since an aspect of each sets up the federal courts to decide any enforcement measures which arise. His hearing on them last month, however, was much wider in scope – including whether the legislation was an appropriate vehicle for creating the casinos.
MGM – which has built a new permanent casino in Detroit – is opposed ot the bill, as are Conyers and Detroit’s other member of Congress, Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick. Both testified against the bill in the Natural Resources Committee in February, while supporters include House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, a Dearborn Democrat, Rep. Bart Stupak of Menominee and Rep. Candice Miller, a Harrison Township Republican whose district includes Port Huron.
If Conyers’ committee makes substantial changes to the bill, or votes it down, it creates a parliamentary question for the House, which will have to decide which version moves forward and under what rules.
Not all of Detroit’s casinos are against the proposal: the Sault Ste Marie of Chippewa tribe is pushing the Romulus plan, hoping to open a casino there in addition to the one it owns in Detroit, Greektown Casino. And the owner of MotorCity Casino, Marian Ilitch, is a partner in other ventures with Michael Malik – the developer who hopes to operate the Port Huron facility for the Bay Mills Indian Community.
Turtle Talk 