“No entity, governmental or otherwise, should be rewarded
for deceptive conduct that violates a compact and is contrary to the will of
voters”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar,
D.D.S. (AZ-04) released the following
statement after testifying before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
Oversight Hearing on the future of Indian gaming and the need for passage of
H.R. 1410:
“TheTohono O’odham Nation’s dismissal of their promise to build no additional
casinos in Phoenix is not something that Congress can ignore when the result
will be so harmful to what had been a national model.
“It is vital for
Congress to pass the Keep the Promise Act, sponsored by my good friend and
colleague Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ), that ensures the promise of no
additional casinos in the Phoenix area is kept until the existing tribal-state
gaming compacts expire, without interfering in the trust acquisition itself. No
entity, governmental or otherwise, should be rewarded for deceptive conduct that
violates a compact and is contrary to the will of voters.” The transcript of Congressman
Gosar’s testimony can be found HERE.
(Rep. Gosar testifying
before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs seated next to Rep. Raul
Grijalva, D-AZ)
Background:
In return for
exclusivity in Arizona, the tribes agreed to a cap on the number of casinos in
the state and in the Phoenix metro area, to restrict the number of machines in
the state and to share machine revenue with rural non-gaming tribes so all could
benefit.
Every urban tribe,
except for Tohono O’odham, agreed to this
limitation. Tohono O’odham refused, citing the
need for a new casino in Tucson or on the rural part of the tribe’s
reservation.
The state and other tribes finally agreed to the
restrictions on gaming being pushed by Arizona’s Governor and others, but also
yielded to Tohono O’odham’s stated need.
After the agreement was reached, the tribes and
state promoted their model compact by saturating the airwaves with press
releases, voter handouts, billboards, and in television and radio
interviews. Tohono O’odham alone spent $1.8 million dollars urging Arizona
voters to rely on the limitation which included no additional casinos in the
Phoenix area.
However, in 2001, while negotiations were
ongoing and unbeknownst to everyone, Tohono O’odham had begun efforts to find
land in the Phoenix area to open their fourth casino in violation of the
17-tribe coalition compact.
###
