Missouri legislator revives bid for Ozark-based casino
The bill, opposed by the Osage Nation, will be tabled in next month’s legislative session.
Missouri Representative Jeff Knight has pressed forward with legislation for the development of a brand new casino near the Lake of Ozarks. The legislation, named HJR 23, will be discussed in a legislative session that begins next month.
The space that is being proposed for development is located on a 25-mile portion of Osage land, from the Missouri River to the Bagnell Dam.
If HJR 23 passes, it will be enshrined in Missouri’s constitution. It is expected to pass with an easy majority in both Houses of the state legislature, at which point it will be taken to Missourians for them to cast their vote. A 50%+ majority will be needed for the bill to pass.
That public vote is scheduled for November 2024, unless Governor Mike Parson requests that it be held sooner. The bill has strong opposition in the form of Tribal operators in Missouri, who view a new casino as potentially damaging competition.
The Osage Nation has acquired a section of land that is located in the same area as this proposed commercial one.
The Tribe submitted a plan for Class II gaming on this facility back in October 2021. It requires federal approval from the Department of the Interior to begin building, rather than a green light from the Missouri legislature.
It is expected that Osage Nation lobbyists will be lively in Jefferson City in 2023, during the next legislative session. The Tribe will be determined to see that HJR 23 does not pass as it would pose a “severe menace” to any potential gaming project they may undertake in the Lake of Ozarks.
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