Senator Reid reportedly softens on Indian gaming expansions, land claims settlement and drops opposition to “off-reservation” casino
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), the powerful congressional leader who counts among his friends many of Las Vegas’ most successful captains of gaming, has reportedly dropped his opposition to plans for off-reservation gaming, according to reports last week in the Port Huron Times Herald.
Tom Shields, president of GOP-focused Marketing Resource Group and spokesman for Detroit casino syndication interests backing numerous Indian tribes with plans for "off-reservation" casinos, tells the Port Huron Times Herald, Senator Reid no longer plans to block a third Bay Mills Indian casino to be developed in Port Huron, Michigan; 350 miles from the Bay Mills Tribe’s existing Reservation. If true, this would be a dramatic shift of position for the Nevada Senator.
Reporters and political opponents of Reid have previously suggested his opposition to the Bay Mills scheme stemmed from his relationship with disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
FEC records indicate the Ilitch Family and an associate have contributed $22,000 to Senator Reid's committees since 2002 when he blocked Stabenow's bill.
Port Huron Time Herald, 02.14.07
“The deal still requires congressional approval, but several attempts to obtain it have been blocked. Stabenow introduced a measure five years ago that was stymied by U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.
“Tom Shields, a spokesman for casino developer Mike Malik, said he has been told Reid, who became Senate majority leader last month, has dropped his opposition. Shields also noted Stabenow, who won a second term in 2006, has gained political clout with the Democratic takeover of Congress.”
The Bay Mills Indian Community in Michigan is once again seeking Congressional approval for an off-reservation casino.
The tribe wants to settle its land claim at Charlotte Beach for gaming rights at Port Huron. But the proposal ran into opposition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, some members of Congress and some Michigan tribes.
Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada), the new Senate majority leader, has since dropped his objections, according to the casino developer. That has Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) renewing her support for legislation to approve the project.
The Bay Mills tribe already has two operating casinos with more than 1,250 gaming machines at its northern shoreline reservation on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. An Act of Congress among other approvals is needed for the Tribe to establish a third casino and resort property in Port Huron. Detroit interests would develop and manage the property and any tangential resort properties
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Shields hints his clients are hopeful that Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI.) might introduce a bill during the 110th Congress to win congressional approval of the scheme which involves the Tribe abandoning its land claims to approximately 110 acres in an area known as Charlotte Beach, Michigan.
If Stabenow does introduce a bill it would be at least the seventh time in almost eight years that such a bill has surfaced on Capitol Hill. No bills have made it out of committee to be voted on by either chamber of Congress.
The Ilitch Family and an associate contributed more than $113,000 toward Senator Stabenow's re-election.
Background on Tom Shields and his clients
Shields is the spokesman for various casino syndications involving Marian Ilitch (she and her husband Mike Ilitch co-founded Little Caesars Pizza; the family also owns the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers and MotorCity Casino among other interests) and her partner Michael J. Malik, Sr.. The pair has been behind various bids for a Bay Mills casino in a more urban setting since 1994 when they pursued plans along with Harrah's to put a Bay Mills casino in downtown Detroit.
Shields, a well known Michigan GOP strategist, has been political advisor to former Michigan Governor John Engler and Congresswoman Candice Miller among others.
It was Engler who opened the door to a possible Port Huron casino for the Bay Mills Tribe, when, in the closing months of his administration, Engler did a flip-flop on his long held stance against off-reservation gaming and signed a settlement agreement with the Tribe regarding the Charlotte Beach land claims. Within weeks, Stabenow introduced S. 2986 but Reid reportedly blocked it from moving out of committee following an October 2002 Indian Affairs Committee hearing.
Since then, documents filed with the Federal Election Commission indicate the Ilitch Family and Malik contributed more than $113,000 toward Stabenow’s re-election efforts and $22,000 to several of Reid’s political committees.
Several months after the introduction of S. 2986, freshman Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI 10th), barely a month into her first term, introduced a similar bill H.R. 831 in the House of Representatives. Needless to say, both bills died, never making it out of committee.
Shields’ website indicates he represents the Bay Mills Indian Community; Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan, Gun Lake Tribe; the Los Coyotes band of Cahuilla Indians and the Smith River Indians of Big Lagoon Rancheria; Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians; Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and the Shinnecock Indian Nation. He represents these Ilitch Family gaming affiliations as well: Atwater Entertainment; Barwest Gaming; Gateway Casino Resorts LLC; Hawaii Entertainment LLC; Ilitch Holdings and MotorCity Casino.
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