Tribes begin payments to state of Wisconsin

Monday, Jan. 3, 2000 | 11:50 a.m.

However, one tribe has said the recent decriminalization of video poker machines in taverns violates those deals.

Acting state Administration Secretary George Lightbourn, the official responsible for monitoring whether specific tribes met the year-end deadline for the first payments, said all first installments were submitted.

However, he said, the Oneida Nation protested the competition to their casinos posed by video poker machines.

Although the tribe sent the state a check for $4.85 million, Oneida Business Committee Chairman Gerald L. Danforth also warned the governor in a letter that decriminalizing video poker machines in the state budget "violated the exclusivity requirements" of the new state-Oneida gambling deal.

Making the payment "is not to be construed as a waiver" by the tribe of any legal rights to protest future payments or negotiate with state officials over these and other issues, he added.

Despite their concerns, Danforth said Oneida tribal leaders decided that not making the first payment to the state "would only serve to defeat any hopes of a mutually agreeable resolution to this problem.

"Our recent meetings with Secretary Lightbourn have proved positive, and we remain hopeful that the state will continue to cooperate in these meaningful discussions," Danforth wrote Gov. Tommy Thompson. "Therefore, we would like to propose a meeting with your office in the near future (mid-February 2000) to further discuss this matter."

Lightbourn said joint "memos of understanding" signed by state officials and all tribal leaders allow both sides to hold meetings on issues like the change that weakened penalties for having up to five video poker machines in each restaurant or tavern.

That change is "on the list of things (the Oneida) want to talk about," said Lightbourn, who recently met with tribal leaders and state gaming regulators.

"But they made the payment," he added.

New compacts signed by Thompson with the 11 tribes that operate 17 casinos require the tribes to pay a record $42 million to the state by mid-2001, Lightbourn said.

Other tribes making payments are:

- $2.2 million from the St. Croix Chippewa.

- $258,000 from the Sokaogon (Mole Lake) Chippewa.

- $53,000 from the Bad River Chippewa.