Menominee Tribe upset with Walker's casino stance

KESHENA - The Menominee Tribe is upset with Gov. Scott Walker's stance about his conditions for approving any new off-reservation gaming project.

During a stop to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board, Walker said that all 11 Wisconsin tribes must agree before any new off-reservation casino is opened in the state. Walker's approval is required under federal law before any tribe can open an off-reservation casino.

Walker's comments are a blow to the Menominee tribe's effort since the 1990s to open an off-reservation casino in Kenosha. The Potawatomi tribe has long been fighting the proposal for fear it would cut into business in their Milwaukee casino.

The Menominee Tribe is expecting the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to issue its decision this spring. If it endorses the project, it moves to Gov. Walker's desk.

"I just don't know why the governor would give the Potawatomi tribe that sort of veto power over the state of Wisconsin," tribal vice chair Lisa Waukau told FOX 11. "We're very shocked that Gov. Walker would give the Potawatomi that kind of power."

Waukau says it is unrealistic to expect the 11 tribes to agree on something like this. And, she says Walker's stance doesn't make sense given his pledge to create jobs.

"He needs to reconsider this. We're talking about 3,000 jobs just in the (construction) project alone. The state can't turn its back on those number of jobs. It would be a real financial boon for southern Wisconsin," Waukau said.

The Menominee Tribe doesn't have a choice but to deal with Walker, given his authority in under the law.

"Once we get that (BIA) approval we need to get the governor to give it a fair and honest look," she said.