BISMARCK — A proposal that could eventually lead to a new casino and resort in Grand Forks was voted down in the state Senate last month, but it could be resurrected in another form, according to a sponsoring lawmaker.
Sen. Scott Meyer told the Grand Forks Herald that discussions are happening and ideas are being considered but said more details are not yet available on its next iteration, if it does indeed reemerge during the current session of the Legislature.
“Conversations are being held with leaders in both chambers to bring it back,” said Meyer, R-Grand Forks. “We just haven’t yet decided (how).”
Senate Bill 2376 sought to add language into state law regarding the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa’s current gambling abilities. At present, the law declares the band may only operate “on land within Rolette County held in trust for the band by the United States government which was in trust as of the effective date of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.” SB 2376 sought to add “and on land within Grand Forks County” to the language.
The bill
on a 29-15 Senate vote.
SB 2376 would not have necessarily meant the casino would be built in Grand Forks, but simply would have cleared one of a number of hurdles before the casino could become reality. On Jan. 27,
the Grand Forks City Council decided, in a 4-3 vote, to enter a non-binding letter of intent
with the Turtle Mountain Band; the next step then would have been to amend state law to allow the tribe to operate a gaming site outside of its traditional boundaries. More approvals — from the U.S. Department of Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs — would have been necessary after that.
The proposal calls for an approximately $300 million casino to be built on tribe-owned land just west of Interstate 29 and just south of the current city limits. Early projections show it could draw as many as 400,000 non-local guests per year and generate gross gaming revenue of nearly $80 million in its first year.
Although the casino itself would not be taxed in a traditional sense — since it would technically be operating on tribal trust land — the city and tribe have discussed annual payments to local taxing entities in lieu of typical taxes. The tribe, meanwhile, has said it seeks no funding from the city.
Opponents have voiced concern about its impact on legal charitable gaming and also that it could spur other casino projects elsewhere. And just before the Senate vote on Feb. 14, Sen. Diane Larson, R-Bismarck, wondered aloud — during a speech on the Senate floor — if the tribe might be financially backed by “cartels.”
Although she later was apologetic
and said it was a “reckless statement,” Turtle Mountain Chairman Jamie Azure called the comment “a slap in the face.”
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