Connecticut Senators push for tribal amendments

The Senators sent a letter to the US Interior Secretary in order to recognise the amendments to the tribe’s compacts.

US.- US Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy along with Rep. Joe Courtney sent a letter to the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke asking him to take action on a request to recognise the amendments to the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nation’s compacts with the state of Connecticut.

The tribes want the amendment to be recognised in order to clear all questions regarding a casino off tribal land in East Windsor: they want to make sure that the facility won’t violate the current compacts with the state, as the ones that they operate are located on tribal land and fall under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).

“The Amendment addresses the exclusivity provisions of the Gaming Compact. We find that there is insufficient information upon which to make a decision as to whether a new casino operated by (the tribes) would or would not violate the exclusivity clauses of the Gaming Compact. The Tribes have entered an agreement with the State whereby they have agreed that the exclusivity provisions will not be breached by this arrangement. Therefore, our action is unnecessary at this time,” wrote Black.

In the letter dated November 2, the three officials said that the third casino doesn’t fall under IGRA and that it doesn’t need approval from the Department of Interior. “However, in order to clarify that the proposed third casino operation would not implicate the existing compact provisions, the Tribes and the State determined that it would be in the best interests of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes along with the state of Connecticut for the compact language to be amended. Department of Interior approval would merely continue this beneficial Tribal-State relationship,” they said.