According to Rep. Trent Franks, the Act “will keep the promise” agreed to in 2002 by tribes and hundreds of thousands of Arizona voters, will prevent the opening of the Tohono O’odham Nation’s Glendale casino, currently under construction in the middle of a neighborhood near homes, schools and houses of worship.
The bill is supported by most of the Arizona Congressional delegation, next moves to a floor vote in the U.S. House, likely to be scheduled in the near future.
“This vote was a solid victory for all of us who oppose destroying the balance of tribal gaming in Arizona and allowing a single tribe to break a promise made by all tribes,” said Gila River Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis. “We look forward to the Keep the Promise Act moving through the federal process and we will continue to do everything possible to protect the integrity of tribal gaming in Arizona. We appreciate the support of leaders like Rep. Franks, Rep. Gosar, Rep. Kirkpatrick and others who continue to stand up for keeping the promise made to voters and keeping casinos on traditional tribal lands.”
Without passage of H.R. 308, according to Franks, the Nation could well open not only a Glendale casino, but three more casino locations on county islands around Maricopa County. Such openings could pave the way to the Arizona Legislature allowing off-reservation casinos, causing an explosion of tribal and non-tribal gaming statewide.