House panel rejects Indian casino plan

Michael Mello

Wednesday, June 21, 2000 | 8:13 a.m.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Narragansett Indians were handed another defeat Tuesday in their long effort to build a casino in Rhode Island when a House committee narrowly rejected putting the proposal on the November ballot.

The House Finance Committee voted 10-7, without discussion, against the plan to build a sprawling complex worth more than $500 million in the struggling town of West Warwick.

Rep. Timothy Williamson, D-West Warwick, plans to use a legislative rule to try to circumvent the vote and put the measure before the full House. But Finance Committee Chairman Antonio Pires, D-Pawtucket, said such maneuvers usually fail, meaning the proposal likely is dead this session.

Pires opposed the proposal in part because he thought it would hurt two existing businesses that generate $120 million in annual revenues for the state from video slots.

"It might have meant the closure of one or both of those facilities," Pires said, referring to Lincoln Park and Newport Jai Alai. If that happened, the state would lose some of the revenues it has come to count on, he said.

"I felt we were negotiating against ourselves," Pires said.

Donald Snyder, president of Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming, said the company is disappointed.

The tribe needs statewide voter approval to build a gambling hall. The Narragansetts mounted an aggressive public relations campaign this session with newspaper ads linking the past oppression of Indians to their thwarted efforts to build a casino.

Supporters of the casino said it would be an economic boon to West Warwick and Rhode Island. Opponents said it would hurt the quality of life and would bring more problems than benefits.

The committee vote came after a series of hearings, the latest of which included an offer from the tribe to increase the state's share of gambling revenues. But it was not enough to sway a majority on the panel.

"We didn't have enough concrete information from them," said Rep. Carol Mumford, R-Hope. "The site plans changed three times."

Rep. Eileen Naughton, D-Warwick, agreed with the tribe's contention voters deserve the right to decide if they want a casino.

"If it's on the ballot in November, I probably won't support it myself," she said. "But I believe it should go before the people, I'm a strong believer in that."

Matthew Thomas, the tribe's chief sachem, was unsure of the Narragansetts' next move.

"It's time to regroup ... it is very unjust for an entity such as the Narragansett tribe to be at the mercy of another entity," he said.

Williamson said the committee's vote was not unexpected and believes there is strong support in the full House for the casino proposal.

"The proposal has touched a lot of nerves," he said. "There are a lot of people who wanted this to come out of committee."

David Kenik, who heads the West Warwick anti-casino group, CasiNO!, was jubilant after the hearing.

"The General Assembly has seen the negative economic and social effects, not only for West Warwick, but for the whole state," he said.