Rep. Bart Stupak (D MI-1st) has introduced yet another bill (HR 2176) intended to allow the Bay Mills Indian Community to develop an 0ff-reservation casino -- the tribe was among the first to open a casino in Michigan and has two casinos on its existing reservation.
Disguised as a "Land Claims Settlement," HR 2176 would allow the Bay Mills Indians to build a casino more than 300 miles from their reservation in Port Huron. The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI 10th), herself an author of one of more than six such earlier attempts in almost a decade to approve an off-reservation casino for a tribe that already has two casinos on its existing reservation. Given the shift of power in Congress to the Democrats, Stupak is author this time.
Rep. Miller has previously received campaign support and more than $75,000 from those bankrolling the plans to relocate a casino to Port Huron, in Miller's district.
Over the years, Rep. Stupak too has been the recipient of campaign funds from those pushing the tribal casino. The Bay Mills Indian Community reservation is located in Stupak's district.
Previously those bankrolling the casino plans have contributed more than $115,000 to Michigan's Senator Debbie Stabenow; and on March 30th they helped raise almost $100,000 for Michigan's other Senator Carl Levin.
HR 2176 was introduced May 3rd and referred to the House Natural Resources Committee.
In addition to the six other failed bills previously introduced, on at least two occassions backers of the off-reservation Indian casino attempted to slip language into Transportation Bills that would have granted approvals for the casino project; those attempts failed too.
Former Michigan Governor John Engler, in a suprising reversal of his long-held opposition to off-reservation casinos, signed a land claims settlement agreement with the Bay Mills Indians just months before his last term in office was about to end. The claims, however, had previously been tossed out in a court claim and have never been ajudicated. Another tribe claims the same area, a small subdivision known as Charlotte Beach.
Backers and those reporedly bankrolling the casino plans include Detroit casino syndicator Michael J. Malik and Mrs. Marian Ilitch who along with her husband Mike founded Little Caesars Pizza. The family also owns the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings and MotorCity Casino.
The tribe and its developers have spent millions in recent years on Capitol Hill lobbyists trying to convince Members of Congress to approve their plans.
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