Beloit Daily News - Casino bill off fast track schedule

Casino bill off fast track schedule
Posted: Thursday, Sep 14, 2006 - 04:20:43 pm CDT
By Clint Wolf
News Editor

The Beloit casino project has survived yet another obstacle as a bill in the House of Representatives was taken off the fast-track voting schedule Wednesday.
HR 4893, which seeks to make various changes to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, was placed on the suspension calendar in the House, meaning it would be put before the full House for a vote with no amendments and only 40 minutes allowed for debate.

Language in the bill that caused concern for the supporters of the proposed tribal casino in Beloit was a section that stated in order for an off-reservation casino to be approved, the tribe had to have a "geographic, historical and temporal nexus" with the property where the gambling facility would be located.

U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, who represents the Beloit area, headed an effort to take the bill off the suspension calendar and was successful. She challenged the bill, which was authored by U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo, a California Republican, and in order for it to remain on the expedited agenda, two-thirds of the House had to vote to keep it on the suspension calendar. In the end, 171 House members opposed the bill's placement on the suspension agenda. Baldwin only needed 145 votes to oppose it.

"For five years they have played by the rules, and they are now in the last weeks of the approval process. Now as the community anticipates a final decision on the tribe's application, this bill abruptly changes the rules, possibly denying the local community what they seek," Baldwin said before the house vote.

But, the bill is not dead. The bill could be referred back to committee or it could go back to the House floor for a vote. However, this time it will be open for amendments and a full debate on its merits, Baldwin said.

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, said he is working to change language in the bill.

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Ryan notes there are casino proposals bending at both ends of his Congressional district - in Kenosha and in Beloit. However Ryan did not vote with Baldwin to keep the bill off the fast track.

"We're continuing to work with the bill's chief author in hopes that he himself will make changes we are requesting," Baldwin said.

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