Casino-land swap added to transportation bill

A land claim-casino settlement for the Bay Mills Indian Community in Michigan was added to the transportation bill approved in the House on Wednesday.

The deal calls for the tribe to drop its claim to about 100 acres in the Charlotte Beach area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In exchange, the tribe would receive trust land in Port Huron for a casino that some in the community welcome as a way to stimulate development.

The settlement was originally introduced as S.2986. It faces opposition in the Senate, chiefly from Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

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House committee OKs casino deals (Gannett News Service 3/26)