Menominee tribal leaders want meeting with Governor Walker on proposed Kenosha casino

KENOSHA (WITI) -- The Menominee Indian Tribe wants a meeting with Governor Scott Walker to discuss the proposed Kenosha casino -- according to the Milwaukee Business Journal.

Gary Besaw, Menominee tribal legislator and chairman of the Menominee Kenosha Gaming Authority told the Business Journal the tribe will be contacting Walker soon to request a meeting.

"We're trying to meet with him to go forward and work on a win-win-win based on what the Bureau brought forward. Now that Potawatomi is off the table, we're saying (to Walker) come to the table with us," Besaw told the Business Journal.

The Menominee believe that a ruling Friday, January 9th from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs clears the path for the new casino.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs REJECTED an amendment to Wisconsin's compact with the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe.

If the amendment had been approved, it may have put the state on the hook to make up any money the Potawatomi Tribe lost — if the Menominee Tribe built a Hard Rock Casino in Kenosha. A risk, that would likely cause the governor to kill the plan.

At first, the Menominee Tribe promised they would pay for any lost income, but have since back tracked.

The Menominee Tribe is celebrating the move, saying the governor can decide what’s best for the entire state, with a clear path to negotiations.

The Potawatomi Tribe says Friday’s decision does nothing to clarify the state’s risk.

The governor has until February 19th to make a final decision on the proposed Kenosha casino.

CLICK HERE for more on this story via the Milwaukee Business Journal.

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