A bill that would allow the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa to expand beyond its traditional boundaries and perhaps one day open a $300 million resort and casino in Grand Forks was defeated in a state Senate vote on Friday afternoon.
The vote came after Sen. Diane Larson, R-Bismarck, openly wondered if the tribe is financially backed by “cartels” and also after she made questionable statements about the tribe’s land acquisition and other background items.
Senate Bill 2376 sought to add language into state law regarding Turtle Mountain’s current gambling abilities. At present, the law declares the band may only operate “on land within Rolette County held in trust for the band by the United States government which was in trust as of the effective date of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.”
