Potawatomi's $40.5 Million Payment Due Wednesday
Tribe Wants To Make Payment, But May Not Get Funding
POSTED: 8:56 pm CDT June 28,
2004
UPDATED: 6:04 am CDT June 29,
2004
The Forest County Potawatomi tribe is worried it may not be able to make a scheduled $40.5 million payment to the state Wednesday.The payment is part of a gaming compact made with Gov. Jim Doyle.Tribal attorney Jeff Crawford said the tribe is having trouble securing loans for the $40.5 million payment because of a recent supreme court decision. The court ruled last month that the gaming compact Doyle signed with the tribes is not valid because they said Doyle exceeded his authority in signing a compact that has no expiration dates and allows games such as craps, roulette and poker."We want to make the payment," said tribal Attorney General Jeff Crawford. "We just don't know if we can get the financing and make the payment."Crawford had earlier indicated the tribe was considering paying just $6.4 million that is owed under its old compact with the state, because of the Supreme Court ruling.But Steven Biskupic, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, said the tribe cannot continue to offer Las Vegas-style games if it does not make the full payment.Ten other tribes have similar compacts with the state.
Previous Stories:
- May 28, 2004: Gaming Compacts: Tribes Must Pay State $40.5 Million Or Else
- May 22, 2004: Doyle, Tribes Discuss Options For Gaming Compacts
- May 20, 2004: Lawmakers Pass Gaming Compact Control Bill
- May 19, 2004: Doyle To Veto Latest Republican Gaming Bill
- May 14, 2004: Supreme Court Rules Against Doyle's Vegas-Style Gaming Compacts
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