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JUNE 13, 2000

The casino proposal by the St Regis Mohawk tribe of New York may be affected if two bills introduced in the New York Senate and Assembly are passed. That casino plan is already under scrutiny due to questions surrounding the tribe's new gaming partner, Park Place Entertainment.

The bills would give legislators the final say on off-reservation casinos, barring the governor from entering into compacts with tribes in the state without legislative approval. Residents of the county in which a casino is proposed would also vote on the issue and the governor can't proceed without a favorable vote.

According to the Albany Times-Union, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988 wouldn't allow states to say no to a compact without a good cause.

Governor Pataki has also called for legislation that would approve slot machines, share 25 percent of slot revenues with the state, and require more state and local agreement before he enters into a compact.

Pataki last month called a time-out on the Mohawk casino plan after the tribe replaced Catskills Development with Park Place Entertainment. The BIA had approved the off-reservation plan after three years but the recent change in partners casts doubt on the approval. A $12B suit has been filed against the company in tribal court.

Anti-smoking activists say Pataki is also supporting legislation that lowers the tax of cigarettes so that off-reservation businesses can compete with reservation ones.

Get the Story:
Lawmakers want say on casinos (The Albany Times-Union 6/13)
Senate Bill Poses New Threat to Proposed Catskill Casino (The New York Times 6/13)
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Related Stories:
Mohawk deal crucial for tribe (Money Matters 05/03)

Editorial:
Not All Mohawks Applaud Monticello Casino Plans (Doug George-Kanentiio. The Talking Circle. 4/17)