LCO Tells Tribal Members Not to Pay County Property Taxes

This is an interesting development. I assume that Sawyer County will sue, along with the State of Wisconsin, to compel the payment of these taxes. And perhaps the Seventh Circuit will reach a different conclusion from the Sixth Circuit in KBIC v. Michigan. I wonder, however, if the Keweenaw Bay case’s expert reports were tribe-specific. Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, this interesting development may be a bad thing for Keweenaw Bay, who had to work to make sure the Supreme Court did not grant cert in their case. This development, for all practical purposes, appears to reopen that case.

From Indianz:

The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is telling tribal members not to pay property taxes in Sawyer County, Wisconsin.

Continue reading

Washington Post Reports on the Lobbying Effort Surrounding the Sault Tribe and Bay Mills Land Claims Settlement Bills

Interests Clash as Mich. Tribes Pursue Land off Reservations

By Susan Schmidt

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 14, 2008; Page A04

An unusual effort by several powerful congressmen to clear the way for two Indian casinos in Michigan is fueling a fierce multimillion-dollar lobbying battle of a scale not seen since the fall of Jack Abramoff.

More than a dozen lobbying firms have joined the fray on both sides, representing Indian tribes, well-connected Michigan developers and the Las Vegas-based gambling company MGM Mirage. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions have flowed to members of Congress considering bills that would allow the tribes to build casinos in populated areas away from their reservations. The bills pit senior Democrats against one another — among them three House committee chairmen, leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.).

Continue reading

Freep Opposes Bay Mills and Sault Tribe Bills

From the Detroit Free Press:

Say no to a bad precedent on casinos

Among John Engler’s last acts as governor of Michigan — on Dec. 30, 2002, to be precise — was approving a land claim settlement with two Upper Peninsula Indian tribes that gave them rights to property for two separate casinos in southeast Michigan. The settlement was long overdue, but the terms Engler allowed were way too generous to the tribes.

Continue reading

Lac Vieux Desert Band Cuts Deal with Muskegon

From Indianz:

The city council in Muskegon, Michigan, voted 5-2 to approve an agreement with the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa for an off-reservation casino.

The deal requires the tribe to pay $2 million a year for municipal services plus 4 percent of net gaming revenues and other service fees. The total annual payment is estimated at $4.5 million. The agreement is non-binding and non-exclusionary. The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is also proposing an off-reservation casino in the city.

Continue reading

Little River Ottawa Muskegon Casino Details

From the Muskegon Chronicle:

Tribe proposes $100 million casino with 800 jobs

A downtown Muskegon casino proposed by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians would be nearly twice the size of the band’s Little River Casino in Manistee.

It would also appeal to a different market, tribal leaders told members of the Muskegon City Commission Monday night — an urban market that would pull in people from around Muskegon, Grand Rapids and as far east as Lansing, as opposed to the destination-resort setting of the Manistee gaming facility.

Continue reading

Casinos close to cashing in

by Chris Killian | Special to the Gazette

Saturday February 09, 2008, 6:32 PM

Two area gambling hubs could open by late next year, pending court ruling

Mark Bugnaski / GazetteKristine Albers checks new decks of cards at The Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo in August. By mid-to-late 2009, southwest Michigan could have two more casinos.

Two Native American casinos could be open in Southwest Michigan by the middle to end of next year, bringing with them an estimated 3,000 casino jobs, another 2,600 spin-off jobs and the potential for millions of dollars in annual local-revenue sharing. They would become the 22nd and 23rd casinos in the state, and both would be within an hour’s drive of Kalamazoo.Ground could be broken as soon as this spring on both the FireKeepers Casino in Emmett Township, just east of Battle Creek, and the Gun Lake Casino, in Wayland Township, about 35 miles north of Kalamazoo on U.S. 131.

Continue reading

Little River Ottawa Proposal to Game in Muskegon

From Indianz:

Little River Band interested in off-reservation casino

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is entering the off-reservation casino game in Muskegon, Michigan.

The tribe plans to make a presentation to the city commission on Monday. Ogema Larry Romanelli says the tribe is interested in a casino in Muskegon — about 80 miles from tribal headquarters in Manistee. The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians recently proposed an off-reservation casino in Muskegon. The tribe’s headquarters are about 500 miles away. The Grand River Band of Ottawa Indians, an unrecognized tribe, is also interested in a casino in the city.

Get the Story:
Muskegon officials to hear another casino pitch (The Muskegon Chronicle 2/8)

Granholm Amendment to Bay Mills Charlotte Beach Settlement

As reported earlier, here is the amendment to the Bay Mills Indian Community settlement agreement executed last November.

Bay Mills Indian Community 2002 Settlement

Bay Mills Indian Community 2007 Settlement Amendment

Written Testimony from House Resources Hearing re: Off-Rez Gaming

Carl Artman–Dept. of Interior

 Jeff Parker–Bay Mills Indian Community

Aaron Payment–Sault Tribe

Alan Lambert–Romulus

Karl Tomion–Port Huron

Continue reading

Abramoff-Style Media Assault on Port Huron/Flint/Romulus Deal

From the Port Huron Times Herald:

Casino foes launch blitzes in Detroit, D.C.

A media blitz aimed at rallying opposition to proposed casinos in Port Huron and Romulus is being orchestrated by a public-relations consultant who has worked for some of the biggest names in Democratic politics.

Peter Ragone III confirmed he is president of the newly created Americans for Gaming Reform Inc., which has launched a radio campaign in Detroit and bought a full-page ad Tuesday in Roll Call, a newspaper that covers Capitol Hill.

Continue reading