Federal Bill To Block Arizona Tribal Casino Falls Short$400 Million Casino Set To Open In Late December |
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A bill on Capitol Hill that would have prevented a federally recognized Native American tribe from opening a new $400 million casino near Glendale didn’t get the votes necessary on Monday, according to a report from azcentral.com.
House members voted 263 to 146, with 25 abstentions, in support of the bill, but it was less than the two-thirds needed on the bill to keep it alive, the report said.
Had it cleared the House, it would have needed to pass a Senate vote and be signed by Obama.
A vote on the bill had previously been delayed.
The Tohono O’odham Nation says it will open the casino on tribal land on Dec. 20, but the state has challenged it, saying the tribe hid its intentions for a casino there when the gambling compact was negotiated. The tribe has denied those accusations and argued that blocking the casino is illegal.
Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Edward Manuel said after the vote: “Today, David beat Goliath again. The special interests spent $17 million trying to rush this harmful bill through, but in the end it came down to the facts. The more that members of Congress examine this legislation, the more they recognize how harmful it is for Arizona workers, the Nation, and tribes across the U.S.”
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