PHOENIX (AP) – Some members of Arizona’s congressional delegation are trying again to block a tribe’s casino project now under construction near Phoenix’s west side.
Legislation introduced in the U.S. House and Senate earlier this week aims to stop the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation project planned near Glendale and the city’s stadium, which is home to the Arizona Cardinals and host of the 2015 Super Bowl. Two previous legislative efforts failed to pass.
The legislation would prohibit construction of any new tribal casino on unincorporated land in Maricopa County that is not next to an existing Indian reservation.
Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake introduced the bill in the Senate, while Reps. Trent Franks and Paul Gosar are proposing it in the House.
Supporters say the casino project will boost the economy and provide jobs, while opponents say it will expand casino gambling within the Phoenix area. Two other tribes already operate several casinos on the metro area’s outskirts.
The tribe held a groundbreaking ceremony last summer for the West Valley Resort, and the site is being prepared for construction. Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris Jr. said the project is on track.
“Virtually every argument raised by opponents has already been addressed in the courts and thrown out on its merits,” he said.
Some opposition to the casino dropped off in 2013 when a sharply divided Glendale City Council approved an agreement with the tribe, which also plans to build a resort hotel.
“We share the objections of many fellow Arizonans when we see attempts to bring Indian gaming to metropolitan areas that are on lands not connected to an extant reservation,” McCain and Flake said in a statement.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
