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Wisconsin
Governor James Doyle (D), a longtime advocate of Native rights, made
a brief visit to the Ho-Chunk Nation Executive Building on March 11,
2004.
Meeting with President George Lewis, members of the Ho-Chunk
Legislature, other tribal members and employees, Doyle held an
impromptu conference, answering a few questions from the audience.
Asked
to respond to the Panzer-Gard and Dairyland lawsuits currently
awaiting decisions in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court, Doyle
laughed and said, “don’t get me going,” before explaining his
thoughts. Panzer-Gard,
filed on behalf on the State |
Ho-Chunk President George Lewis and
Wisconsin Governor James Doyle |
| Republican
Party, argues that Doyle exceeded his authority when he solely
negotiated gaming compacts that allowed Wisconsin’s tribes to
offer expanded games and hours in their casinos.
Most upsetting to the Republicans were perpetuity clauses
that eliminated the need to renegotiate the compacts every five
years. Doyle earlier stated the longer term was needed to better
help the tribes obtain the loans needed to secure their
infrastructure. The Dairyland suit seeks to end Indian gaming in
Wisconsin.
The suit was filed by owners of a Kenosha Dog Track who argue
a 1993 amendment to the State Constitution prohibits any gambling in
the state except bingo, raffles, pari-mutual-on-track betting and
the state lottery.
On
the Panzer-Gard suit, Doyle emphasized that because the State
Legislature approved a budget that included money guaranteed by the
gaming compacts, “I have no idea why they’re complaining.”
On the Dairyland suit he noted, “that only the Federal
Government can shut casinos down,” and the matter is not a state
issue.
While he has heard that the Supreme Court would like to rule
on both cases before Justice Diane Sykes leaves to take another
position, he stated that at this point, “all we can do is sit and
wait.”
Both
suits “are politics against the law, it’s shameful,” he said.
Referring specifically to Panzer-Gard, he said, “what they
don’t understand is that the casinos will still be there but the
state would not be getting any money,” should the compacts be
ruled void.
Aware that Assembly leader, Mary Panzer and State Senator
John Gard would like to reopen the negotiations, Doyle replied,
“that’s not going to happen.
Let’s hope the law will allow truth and justice to
prevail,” he concluded.
Asked
if perhaps the amount of money the Nation and its employees
contribute in the form of taxes were considered when negotiating the
compact, Doyle stated that he doesn’t believe that the compact
payment is a tax and that the fee was negotiated as part of the
“government to government” relationship with the tribe.
Before
leaving he promised to talk to the Wisconsin Department of
Transportation about the Highway 12 project near Ho-Chunk Casino.
Some are concerned that in addition to being unsafe, the
current proposal could divert traffic from the casino. |
