Senators seek governor’s veto of casino at former track

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2000 | 12:08 p.m.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADISON, Wis. -- Two state senators want the governor to veto a plan that would convert a Kaukauna dog-racing track into a $55 million Indian casino complex.

Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, and Mike Ellis, R-Neenah say the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act gives Gov. Tommy Thompson power to stop development plans at the now-closed Fox Valley Greyhound Park by the Lac du Flambeau Chippewa. The track is in Cowles' district.

The project proposed by the Lac du Flambeau band of Chippewa has been approved by the Outagamie County Board and the Kaukauna Common Council but needs federal and state approval.

In a letter to the governor, Senators Cowles and Ellis said the money generated by the casino would not benefit the community but would line the pockets of the northern Wisconsin tribe instead.

They claimed the casino would divert potential employees away from local businesses already suffering a worker shortage.

They also said granting a casino in Kaukauna would set a precedent for other communities seeking to promote gambling, leading to a number of social ills including more violent crime.