An attorney for Gov. Scott Walker raised concerns Wednesday about the feasibility of a newly approved agreement between Wisconsin and the Potawatomi tribe over the use of state funds to compensate the Potawatomi for possible losses if a Kenosha casino is approved.
The questions come after a federal mediator with the Bureau of Indian Affairs approved the new amendment to the compact between the Potawatomi and the state.
Administrative aide Lance Boldrey, who was hired to advise the governor on the proposed Kenosha Casino, raised constitutional questions about the amended compact. He cited the commitment Walker made to pay the Potawatomi for losses, something that requires the approval of the state Legislature.
When planning the construction, Walker and the Milwaukee Potawatomi tribe added a clause saying the state must reimburse them if the Casino would cause them to lose money.
State reimbursement, under the updated agreement, would only take place if the Menominee tribe operating the Kenosha Casino failed to pay the Potawatomi for losses.
Walker said in a Tuesday release the federal approval “is not an indication of supporting or opposing the casino, but is another step in the process of gathering information.”
After the Bureau of Indian Affairs approved the proposed Kenosha Casino in August of 2013, the governor's office has been, according to Walker, working to “gain a better understanding of the true economic and fiscal impact of the proposed Kenosha casino on our state’s taxpayers.”
Walker is scheduled to release a decision on the casino by Feb. 19.
