Gov. Walker to lay out thought process on Kenosha casino
KENOSHA (WITI) -- Gov. Scott Walker is taking his time and weighing several issues when it comes to making a decision regarding the proposed Kenosha casino. On Monday, October 28th, he gave the public a bit more insight into why this decision is taking more time.
Gov. Walker says he will take the next few days to lay out his thought process on several key issues surrounding his decision on the Kenosha casino.
"It's a really important decision," Gov. Walker said.
Last week, Gov. Walker said he would take as much time as he needed to make the right decision.
In an open letter on Monday, he promised to "provide details on the different issues being reviewed in an email to you over each of the next few days."
On Monday, Gov. Walker took up one of the key questions: If the Kenosha casino were to be denied, would it open the door to a potential casino across the Illinois border?
"We expect that Illinois would not sit idle while all of the Chicago dollars flow into Wisconsin," Kenosha Mayor Keith Bosman said.
Mayor Bosman worries about the possibility his city could lose out on a potential $800 million economic development and the thousands of jobs a Hard Rock casino built on the old Dairyland site would bring to the region.
"Illinois, if they're smart, would buy a casino in Waukegan or Gurnee," Mayor Bosman said.
Meanwhile, in his letter on Monday, Gov. Walker minimized the possibility of an Illinois casino, saying: "There are no pending casino applications in Illinois at this time. Legislative efforts were made in 2012 and 2013 to increase the number of casinos in Illinois, but Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed both measures."
That's true, but Gov. Quinn is open to gaming expansion. He said he vetoed bills that were loaded with "loopholes for mobsters."
"I think every person in Illinois should have an opportunity to see what`s in every provision, including those slipped in at the last minute to see what`s in the public interest. We know what`s in the gamblers' interest," Gov. Quinn said.
The Potawatomi tribe, which operates a large casino in Milwaukee opposes the Kenosha project because of its potential to siphon business away.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says the city would also take a hit.
"It'll have a detrimental effect on the city in two areas -- one is employment and second the city and the county both derive payments from the Potawatomi that are tied to the amount of income that the Potawatomi has here," Mayor Barrett said.
Gov. Walker has said any new casino must meet three criteria: No new net gaming, community support and unanimous approval of all the state's 11 tribes. So far, the Ho-Chunk and the Potawatomi are not on board, but the Menominee, who want to build the Kenosha casino say the tribes signed a legal compact years ago that in essence already approved the Kenosha expansion.