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Colorado Delegation Unites Against Senator

COLORADO – As reported by the Denver Post: "Colorado's congressional delegation, worried that a powerful senator might use legislative sleight-of- hand to win approval of an Indian casino on the outskirts of Denver, has united to stop it.

"Their concern is rooted in the long-standing practice of sticking controversial legislation, or 'riders,' onto massive spending bills that must be passed to keep the government running. In the rush, the controversy over the policy gets overwhelmed by the need to pass the overall bill.

"…'We all know strange things happen in the back rooms of the Senate late at night,' said Sean Conway, chief of staff to Sen. Wayne Allard, a Loveland Republican.

"A master of this practice is Senate Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, who happens to have close ties to the financial backers of the proposed Indian casino.

"…All seven Colorado House members have signed a letter to Stevens and other congressional leaders urging that casino language should be considered on its own, not tucked into an unrelated bill. Stevens spokeswoman Courtney Schikora said, "As of now, I don't know of any Indian gaming provision.

"…The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma have filed a land claim for 27 million acres in Colorado. But they say they'd give it up in exchange for permission to build a $150 million casino near Denver International Airport…"

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