Deck appears stacked against casino plan

By Pat Doyle/Conrad Defiebre/Norman Draper

Star Tribune Staff Writers

      Gov. Tim Pawlenty's plan for two state-sponsored casinos at the Canterbury Park racetrack appears in danger of dying in the Republican-controlled House, where at least 13 members of his party say they oppose it, a Star Tribune survey of legislators shows.

      With nearly two-thirds of House members taking a position, 60 told the newspaper they were against authorizing an Indian band and Canterbury Park to run the casinos and send $300 million in licensing fees and a share of future profits to the state. That's seven votes shy of what would be needed to defeat the initiative.

      The survey doesn't necessarily reflect the way that the House members would vote on the measure if it reached the House floor. They were allowed to respond confidentially, asked only to share their sentiments based on what they know now. Also, more Democrats than Republicans replied.

      But the results indicate that the latest version of the casino bill faces an uphill struggle in the chamber where it was believed to have the better chance of surviving.

      "The numbers don't look good," said House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, who nevertheless predicted that the proposal would advance through the House Taxes Committee. "I'm not the type of speaker that twists arms. I certainly do try to gently encourage. Until it gets defeated, it's alive and well."

      Sviggum blamed the extent of the opposition on lobbying and campaign contributions by Indian tribes protecting existing casinos from competition. He also said some members favor a single Canterbury casino, or racino, without tribal involvement.

      "I've heard some members say they would vote for the separate racino bill but the combination, one owned by the Indian tribes and the other owned by Canterbury, they would not support. I assume that is some of your 60.

      Moreover, the plan may have become less appealing to other members after two of three Chippewa bands that supported a casino partnership with the state declined to participate in any deal that included Canterbury.

      "It took some momentum away from the effort when Red Lake and Leech Lake, for whatever reason, left the coalition," Sviggum said. The White Earth Band of Chippewa wants to run one of the two casinos.

      In the DFL-controlled Senate, where three-quarters of the members responded to the survey, a majority of the entire chamber opposed the plan. Of the 22 Republican senators who responded, 11 opposed the proposal, nine favored it and two were undecided.

      Sviggum said backers of the proposal would try to pass it through the House Taxes Committee this week.

      He emphasized polls that have shown popular support for a state-sponsored casino. "It is surprising that the Legislature is either not responsive to or reflective of those Minnesotans," he said.

      Other bills for a sole racino at Canterbury and for a state-tribal casino that would include Red Lake, Leech Lake and White Earth have languished in the House Taxes Committee. They were defeated 10 to 4 in the Senate Agriculture, Veterans and Gaming Committee.

      Sviggum said he favors a deal that involves the state, a band or bands and Canterbury as the fairest way to distribute casino money, but he wouldn't rule out returning to the racino idea if all else fails.