New York: Gaming compact renewal with Seneca Nation on hold
The Assembly decided not to include a current bill on its agenda this session to negotiate a new agreement with the Nation.
The state of New York and the Seneca Nation have hit another snag in their ongoing negotiations to renew a soon-to-expire gaming compact, according to a local report in The Buffalo News. The Assembly has decided not to take up a recent bill that would allow Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration to renew the current compact.
The Seneca Nation’s existing agreement with New York expires December 9.
Seneca President Rickey Armstrong Sr. described the delay as “utter disregard” for the renewal process.
The bill on the table has already passed in the Senate. Though the Assembly agreed to meet in order to “tackle unfinished business,” the group did not include the compact renewal bill on its agenda for the 2023 legislative session.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie released a recent tweet commenting on the situation and expressed his desire for the Seneca Nation to be treated fairly.
He said in his social media post, “I believe the Seneca Nation deserves a fair deal.
“However, the sentiment of the Assembly’s Monroe County delegation – coupled with the potential loss of union jobs – is concerning, and we cannot move forward with a vote on the compact at this time.”
Despite slowed forward movement from state lawmakers, the Hochul administration and the Seneca Nation have formed an “agreement in principle,” which allows the Nation to build a casino in Rochester. Plans for the Monroe County casino were kept from both the public and lawmakers.
However, rumors of the project have circulated during the past couple of weeks, according to the local report. State legislators confirmed that top officials were already aware that talks regarding a new casino were underway.
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