Council approves gaming projects

By John Christian Hopkins
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — Two more chapters want to roll the dice and bet that a casino will bring prosperity, but whether Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. will say deal or no deal is unclear.

Council delegates approved legislation Thursday to create tribal gaming enterprises in Shiprock and Tohajiilee chapters.

This move comes a day after council voted to override Shirley's prior veto of a TGE for Tse' Daa' Kaan Chapter.

Both Shirley and Vice President Ben Shelly urged the delegates not to approve an override, saying that allowing individual chapters to operate their own gaming enterprises could endanger the Nation's compacts with the neighboring states of Arizona and New Mexico.

The president's concerns are not part of this current equation, said Chief Legislative Counsel Ray Etcitty. While the Nation's compact with Arizona only allows for four casinos maximum, the New Mexico compact does not limit the number of facilities, Etcitty said. The three TGEs under consideration are all in New Mexico, he added.

"We ask you to let us continue to work on this initiative," said Delegate Pete Ken Atcitty, who sponsored the Shiprock bill.

"I do support this bill, it's long overdue," said Delegate Amos F. Johnson. "Other tribes are ahead of the Navajo Nation when it comes to gaming."

Tohajilee is moving forward and construction of a casino could start this summer, said Delegate Lawrence Platero, who sponsored the Tohajiilee legislation.

"We need for some gaming enterprise to start as soon as possible," said Platero.

There were some questions put on the table.

Shiprock and Tse' Daa' Kaan are next to each other. If each has a casino, will either survive, wondered Delegate Lorenzo Bedonie.

Also, the Tohajiilee facility would be competing the Albuquerque market, said Ed Richards, who is acting as a gaming coordinator for the chapter.

"Can these chapters compete? That's not a legal question, that's an economic question," Etcitty said.

Rather than competing, having facilities close together would work to draw more people in, Platero said. It would be like in Las Vegas, he added.

Delegate Ervin M. Keeswood Sr., who sponsored the Tse' Daa' Kaan bill, had concerns about dividing up the pot. His chapter's TGE included language that gaming profits would be divided among all the chapters.

"Every chapter should benefit," Keeswood said.

However, both Shiprock and Tohajiilee omitted such langauge in their bills, he noted. Both pieces of legislation were amended to include language making it clear that profits would be divvied up among the 110 chapters.

Both TGE bills sailed through council, garnering more than the 59 votes they would need to override a future presidential veto.

Before the session adjourned, some of the delegates squabbled over committee assignments. Raymond Maxx accused Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan of "blacklisting" delegates who did not support him for the speakership. Maxx, who had been on the Budget & Finance Committee, now found himself on the Education Committee.

The problem is that some delegates look down on certain committees, said Bedonie.

"Once we start working, they will see that all the committees have equal importance," added Bedonie.

The assignments should be passed, and any delegates who are unsatisfied, can find someone to switch committees with, suggested Roy Laughter.

"Mr. Laughter is proposing to do some horse trading," said Johnson, who said he had reached an agreement to trade his seat on the Government Services Committee for Harry Clark's place on the Resources Committee.

But Omer Begay said allowing delegates to trade committees would create chaos.

John Christian Hopkins can be reached at hopkins1960@hotmail.com or by calling 505-371-5443.