Washington – The developer proposing a tribal casino in downtown Pueblo says he wants to bypass the normal government-approval process and have Congress OK the plan.
Steve Hillard said the approval steps required under federal Indian gambling law are too time-consuming. They require the approval of Gov. Bill Owens and the Bush administration, and both have rejected the proposal in the past.
“Going to Congress is quicker, more definite and gets the project and the jobs going for real,” Hillard said Tuesday. “This is a case where the community is coming right at the delegation with a simple question – yes or no to thousands of new jobs for Pueblo.”
A member of Congress would have to sponsor the legislation Hillard wants. But members of Colorado’s congressional delegation are not saying “yes” at this point.
The congressman who represents Pueblo, Democrat John Salazar, is undecided. Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., opposes the casino without a statewide vote supporting it, and Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., “remains skeptical” about the plan, a spokesman says.
Hillard is working with the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma to build a casino on Pueblo’s tourist-oriented Arkansas Riverwalk. The most likely site is 5 acres across from the convention center.
Supporters say it could bring 1,000 jobs and $10 million in annual revenues. Opponents say it would bring increased crime and traffic. The Pueblo City Council and county commissioners have endorsed it.
The bill Hillard wants would create an Indian reservation in Pueblo and bypass rejections by Owens and Bush’s Interior Department. As Hillard put it, “Congress can do whatever it wants.”
Allard aides say it’s doubtful Congress would pass the legislation. “I’m unaware of anyone in the Colorado delegation that’s going to pre-empt the process in Colorado,” said Sean Conway, Allard’s chief of staff. “This is not just a Pueblo issue. This decision belongs to the people of Colorado.”
Allard said Tuesday he was worried that casino supporters might try to slip language authorizing a casino into unrelated legislation, a process sometimes called a “midnight rider.” “That kind of an end-run around a transparent process is unacceptable to me,” Allard said.
Hillard responded that he wasn’t trying to sneak legislation by anyone, but intended an open effort in Congress. He said he expected Pueblo officials to work on draft legislation and present it to a member to introduce.
Even if legislation passed, the tribe might still need to negotiate a “compact” agreement with the state if it wants to run Las Vegas-style slots and table games. If the casino site were made a reservation, it could run “Class II” games, often called “high-stakes bingo” and considered similar to Las Vegas games.
Congress granted the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians in California casino-reservation status by one line in a massive spending bill in 2000, but the tribe hasn’t opened its casino because it hasn’t obtained a compact with the state. But tribes can sue states for not negotiating a compact in good faith.
Meanwhile, Bullwhackers Casino in Black Hawk has withdrawn from the Colorado Gaming Association in protest over the association’s contribution to anti-casino activists in Pueblo.
” … We do not believe this in any way justifies support of a group that is spreading blatantly anti-gaming propaganda which, in turn, casts the entire casino industry in Colorado in a negative light,” wrote Bullwhackers general manager Thomas Burke in a letter to the association dated today.
“Since they (Bullwhackers)have interests in other states besides Colorado, sometimes their interests don’t agree with what the interests are of the gaming association,” said Lois Rice, association executive director.
Bullwhackers’ withdrawal means a loss of $4,000 a month in dues to the gaming association – 10 percent of its collections, Rice said. “It will have an impact,” Rice said.
The group, which represents casinos in Cripple Creek, Black Hawk and Central City, did not disclose how much it contributed to the anti-casino group in Pueblo.
Staff writer Dave Curtin contributed to this report.
