Racine County Executive Ladwig endorses Kenosha casino

Racine County Executive James Ladwig has become the latest political, and Republican, leader to come out in favor of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin's proposed $800 million casino and resort complex in Kenosha.

Ladwig announced his endorsement of the tribe's off-reservation gaming facility at the former Dairyland Greyhound Park at a press conference Thursday afternoon. The Menominee casino plan gained federal approval in August, sending the proposal to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker for final approval.

Ladwig said the tribe has ensured him that at least 15 percent of the employees at the Kenosha County casino will be residents of neighboring Racine County. That means more than 500 new jobs for residents in his county if the casino creates 3,300 permanent jobs as expected by the tribe.

"Additionally, workers from Racine County will also be actively involved in building the casino, and there will be other ways to establish bonds between our county, the tribe and our neighbors to the south," Ladwig said. "That is why I'm proud to support the Kenosha casino project and encourage Gov. Walker to approve it."

Ladwig joins a growing group of state politicians coming out in favor of the Kenosha casino. Supporters include leaders from southeastern Wisconsin like Kenosha Mayor Keith Bosman, Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser and Racine Mayor John Dickert, along with Democratic lawmakers state Sen. Bob Wirch (D-Kenosha), state Rep. Todd Ohnstad (D-Kenosha), and state Rep Peter Barca (D-Kenosha). On the Republican side, state Rep. Tom Weatherston of Caledonia and state Rep. Samantha Kerkman of Powers Lake in western Kenosha County are also backing the project, along with north woods Republican Reps. Jeff Mursau of Crivitz and Gary Tauchen of Bonduel.

“While the casino will be built in Kenosha, it will take a lot of people to make it successful," said Gary Besaw, a Menominee tribal legislator and chairman of the Menominee Kenosha Gaming Authority. "Racine County can and will play an important role not only in this approval process, but also in the building and staffing of the new casino.

"Governments work best when they work together in bipartisan and bilateral ways,” Besaw said. “Here, we have an excellent example of a sovereign nation – the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin – working with a local government – Racine County – for the betterment of the entire region and state."

The Menominee tribe is trying to convince Walker to approve their proposal that will help its 8,700-member tribe out of poverty. Its Menominee County reservation is situated in the poorest county in the state of Wisconsin and it has long sought to open the casino in Kenosha to support economic development on the reservation.

Walker has not taken a public stance on the Kenosha casino. He has only stated that approval will depend whether the casino results in no new net gaming, receives community support and has the approval of all 11 Wisconsin Indian tribes.

Ladwig's support could be seen as building community support for the casino, but tribal consensus is viewed as the most difficult hurdle since a Kenosha casino will almost certainly choke off Illinois traffic to the Forest County Potawatomi Community's lucrative Milwaukee casino. In approving the Menominee tribe's application to take the Dairyland property into federal trust — a requirement for off-reservation gaming — the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs acknowledged that the Kenosha casino would reduce revenue at Potawatomi Bingo Casino by 8 to 20 percent.

The Ho-Chunk Nation, which is pursuing plans for a casino in Beloit, has also come out publicly in opposition to the Kenosha plan.

Reported by:  Greater Milwaukee Business Journal