Menominee Tribe makes final pitch to secure Kenosha casino

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Will the Menominee Tribe get the go-ahead to build an $800 million casino in Kenosha? The decision now rests with Gov. Scott Walker.

The Menominee Tribe says in an 11th hour final meeting with Gov. Walker on Wednesday, October 23rd, job creation was part of the final pitch. However, one political expert says jobs likely has no weight in a final decision.

"He's probably going to argue that this was not an economic development decision, this is not a job decision," said Mordecai Lee, Professor of Governmental Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Lee says the governor is sticking to his criteria he set a long time ago. It includes no new net gaming, support from the Kenosha community and consensus among all of Wisconsin's eleven tribes.

"I think Gov. Walker showed some real strategic thinking when early on when he had criteria.  He had sort of policy decision principals. And that has really served him well," said Lee.

Gov. Walker's decision on the casino proposal most likely hinges on the final element of his criteria -- consensus among the tribes. But so far, the Potawatomi and Ho-Chunk Tribes are not on board with the plan.

The Menominee Tribe argues all tribes in Wisconsin, including the two opposed, entered into what is essentially a gaming contract with the state a decade ago. By doing so, the Menominee feel, regardless of what the tribes say now, they agreed to be on board.

Gov. Walker is expected to make his decision by Friday, October 25th.