The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin offered Tuesday to pay $220 million for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena if Gov. Scott Walker would reverse his denial of the proposed Menominee Hard Rock Kenosha Casino.
"This proposal eliminates the need for State taxpayer funds to build a new arena," said Menominee Chairman Gary Besaw in a statement. "It shows the Kenosha casino is truly a win-win-win for Wisconsin."
Members of the state Legislature on both sides of the aisle supported the revived plan, which Walker originally rejected in January amid concerns about potential lawsuits from other tribes.
"I commend the Menominee Tribe for not giving up on creating thousands of jobs in Racine and Kenosha counties," Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said in a press release.
"This is a major new development that would provide taxpayers with a double bonanza," Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, said in a statement.
Mike Huebsch, secretary of Walker’s Department of Administration, shot down the proposal later that day, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Huebsch said Walker would not accept the proposal.
Walker’s recent budget proposal included $220 million in bonds to pay for the new arena in downtown Milwaukee. The funds would come from the “jock tax,” which refers to the income taxes paid by professional athletes. The Bucks current owners and former owner have pledged a total of at least $250 million for the arena, which has estimated costs of $500 million.
Walker can change his decision by Feb. 19 with the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Menominee Tribe said in the statement.
