After defeats before the R.I. Supreme Court in 2004 and 2005, the Narragansett Indian Tribe and Harrah’s Entertainment remained steadfast in their mantra: “There’s always tomorrow.”
But after last week’s nearly two-to-one rejection of a referendum question aiming to amend the state’s constitution to make way for a casino, it appears that all bets are now off.
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Although Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas could not cite future plans – saying that was up to the tribe – Harrah’s Senior Vice President Jan L. Jones said her company will not seek to put the question before voters again.
Noticeably emotional while discussing the four years for which the Las Vegas-based company has worked with the tribe, Jones said that the process of getting casino gambling approved in Rhode Island had proved difficult, and that the company respected the voice of the voters.
However, she did allude to comments made by U.S. Senator-elect Sheldon A. Whitehouse in a debate several weeks ago.
Squaring off against Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee in a debate last month, Whitehouse said that an amendment introduced in Congress by Chafee’s father, late Sen. John Chafee, had unfairly targeted the tribe.
Dubbed the “Chafee Rider,” the 1996 federal statute prohibited the tribe from building a casino on its own land. The Narragansetts are the only federally recognized tribe that is denied that right.
With the election of Whitehouse, along with other congressional Democrats throughout the country, Jones said she hoped the issue could be revisited. “I hope the new leadership does right by them,” she said.
(However, a Whitehouse campaign spokesperson noted at the time of the debate that the then-candidate hadn’t said the amendment should be repealed, only reviewed.)
Darrell West, political science professor at Brown University, said last week that the casino debate in Rhode Island has now ended for good.
“The casino is dead,” West said. “If you can’t win after you spent [millions], in a heavily Democratic year, you’re not going to win in any year.”
The final tally was celebrated by individuals throughout the state’s business community.
For Dale Venturini, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association, last week’s decisive victory meant that her group had been able to go up against the world’s largest casino operator, and win.
Harrah’s spent more than $12 million to get the referendum approved, she said, but the hospitality association – through the anti-casino group Save Our State – was able to win based on facts, she said.
Venturini expressed gratitude for the support of business and cultural leaders throughout the state, as well as the voters who shot the proposal down. “The people decided – and they didn’t whisper, they shouted,” she said.
Laurie White, executive director of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, issued a statement saying that their rejection of Question 1 showed that Rhode Islanders “want a cohesive, statewide economic development strategy that will bring good, quality jobs, innovative industries and a diverse economic base.”
But even as many in the state rejoiced, the rejection of the casino proposal was creating question marks for two distressed entities: the tribe and the Town of West Warwick.
The Narragansett Indians had sought to build the casino as a form of economic development. The tribe stood to make 5 percent of the facility’s gaming revenue, after taxes were paid, in addition to annual contributions to the tribe’s health and education funds.
Where the tribe heads next is unknown, as it has few substantial economic development proposals.
But Gov. Donald L. Carcieri said at a press conference Wednesday that the tribe does have some options available, including a share in the profits from the state’s two existing gambling facilities.
The enabling legislation for expansions at Newport Grand and Lincoln Park provides the tribe with 5 percent of the revenue from the new video lottery terminals, up to $10 million per year. Funds the tribe receives under the agreement, which would be void if a casino were built, will be dedicated to economic development.
Thomas said he was open to meeting with the governor.
West Warwick also must come up with a new plan, said Town Councilman Edward Giroux, a supporter of the casino.
Although the proposal is dead – along with the millions of dollars the casino would have added to the town’s coffers, if approved – Giroux said the town has other options on the horizon. He pointed to a water park developer’s interest in the town and the Royal Mills condominium development as positive signs.
But more work needs to be done on the economic development front, he said.
“West Warwick is a distressed community, that hasn’t changed since [last Tuesday],” Giroux said. “We’ve got to put all of our heads together … and come up with some viable solutions.”
