Issue Position: Other Issues - Beloit Casino

Issue Position

The Beloit Casino project, which was strongly endorsed by the community, would have a significant positive impact on the area economy. The extensive environmental assessment that was conducted by the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, confirmed the many positive benefits associated with this project and the lack of any significant negative impact. I strongly supported the greater Beloit community in this effort, and pressed the Bureau of Indian Affairs to consider the application on its merits and without undue delay. In January 2009, President Bush's Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, denied the application based upon new criteria that his department created. Those new standards, which are not consistent with past practice and are not grounded in federal law, are now being challenged in federal court.

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