Posted: 3/4/05
Governor, northern tribes announce metro casino agreement
by T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter
White Earth Tribal Chairwoman Erma Vizenor called the agreement historic
The Pawlenty Administration and three Northern Minnesota Indian bands jointly announced an agreement that could give the tribes a metro casino.
But the exact location of the proposed casino remains unknown.
White Earth Tribal Chairwoman Erma Vizenor called the agreement ó which is estimated to yield the state $164 million a year in casino revenues ó a ìhistoric partnership,î speaking at a press conference at the Capitol on Friday (March 4).
White Earth, along with the Leech Lake and Red Lake Bands of Ojibwe, for years have worked the Legislature for a metro casino, arguing their own tribal casinos are too remote to meet the pressing needs of their tribes.
ìUnfortunately, we are a victim of geography,î said Leech Lake Tribal George Goggleye.
In January, Gov. Pawlenty visited with tribal leaders in Northern Minnesota and negotiations have been on-going.
Albertville, Burnsville, and the Columbus Township harness track have all been cited as possible locations for the Norther tribes metro casino.
But Pawlenty said the proposal is site neutral.
Former state representative Bill Haas, who now works as a lobbyist for the three bands, said no decision had yet been reached in terms of a casino location.
ìWe donít know where itís going to go,î he said.
Pawlenty explained the metro casino proposal as a means of achieving fairness in Indian gaming, which he believes currently favors a minority of the stateís Native American population.
According to the administration, eighty-five percent of the stateís enrolled tribal members belong to the three Northern bands, though opponents have disputed the percentage.
The agreement with the Northern tribes remains open for other tribes to join, said Pawlenty.
But he also indicated that he was through attempting to negotiate with member tribes of the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA).
ìOn a personal level, I kind of moved beyond that discussion,î said Pawlenty.
Pawlenty has tried to reach a revenue sharing agreement with MIGA members, such as Prairie Island and Mystic Lakesí Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Communities, but has failed.
And he never will succeed, said John McCarthy, executive director of MIGA, who has styled Pawlentyís attempts at revenue sharing extortion.
ìI believe this is ruse,î McCarthy said about the Northern tribe proposal. ìThis is nothing to do with fairness,î he said.
Rather, itís about political retribution, McCarthy explained.
Reactions to the Northern tribes proposal among lawmakers were sharply mixed.
Rep. Andy Westerberg, R-Blaine, House Gaming Division Chairman, said he was proud to carry the legislation in the House.
House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, said he liked the Northern tribes agreement by itself, but also likes the Canterbury Park racino proposal.
ìI think the two could be married. I think they are mutually inclusive of each other,î said Sviggum.
Sen. Bill Belanger, R-Bloomington, said the Canterbury Park racino proposal ultimately will be linked to the Northern tribes casino proposal.
At that point, his promised support of racino would end, said Belanger.
Belanger is one of 14 senators who came out on Friday as ìunalterably opposedî to an expansion of gambling.
ìTaxes are painful. People donít like to pay taxes, but that curbs (growth of) the government,î said Belanger, who said heís voted against gambling in the past.
Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, DFL-Willmar, chided Pawlenty for spending too much time on gaming and charged the governor was using gaming as a distraction.
ìAnd the people of the state are being distracted for a political agenda as opposed to a public policy agenda,î said Johnson.
Pawlenty is scrambling for extra revenue so he doesnít have to break his No New Tax pledge, Johnson explained.
ìI think weíre a better state to have an agenda that simply revolves around gambling,î he said.
Unless new information surfaced regarding the Northern tribes proposal, he didnít see it passing the Senate, said Johnson.
But he didnít know how the gaming debate would ultimately turn out this legislative session, he added.
Under the Northern tribes proposal, the tribes would pay a $200 million one-time license fee and the money would be deposited in the stateís general fund.
The proposal calls for a temporary facility to be operating within six months of passage of the bill.
A permanent facility would take about two years to build and cost about $550 million.
The host community would receive about two percent of the total gaming revenue, or about $10 million annually.
Steve Novak, Anoka County Division Manager of Government Services, said Anoka County is open to looking at a casino.
Still, while the Anoka County Board gave a strong vote on the Vikings Stadium resolution, itís likely to give a ìshakyî one on a casino resolution.
ìThatís the irony,î said Novak.
Capitol Roundup
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