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News & Events
Interview with Chief Velky
10/20/25
Annual Veterans Ceremony 2025
Honoring Native Veterans: A Ceremony of Remembrance and Gratitude
Hosted by the Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS)
Date: November 2 at 12:30 p.m.
Location: Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT
Cost: Free & open to the public (donations encouraged)
Registration: Link to Register →
“Each prayer, each song, each name spoken aloud — a thread in the living tapestry of remembrance.”
The Institute for American Indian Studies invites the community to gather in ceremony and gratitude, honoring Native American veterans and their extraordinary service. Native people have served in the U.S. military at the highest rate per capita of any ethnic group, a testament to the enduring spirit of protection, duty, and love of land that runs deep in our cultures.
This year’s ceremony will once again be guided by Master of Ceremonies Staff Sergeant Gary Tinney (Air Force, Golden Hill Paugussett), with honor songs offered by the Crow Hill Singers, led by Aaron Athey (Mohegan). Together, they will call forth remembrance, connection, and healing, recognizing the sacrifices of both this year’s honorees and all who have served, Native and non-Native alike.
Guests are invited to stay following the ceremony for warm beverages and light refreshments, as well as to meet a special canine ambassador from Tails of Joy, a Connecticut-based nonprofit offering animal-assisted therapy and support for veterans and their families.
Please come prepared for an outdoor gathering; the event may move indoors in case of rain or cold weather.
This event is free and open to all, though pre-registration is appreciated, and donations are encouraged to support this sacred act of honoring and the contributions of those leading the ceremony.
Register Here
Questions? Contact IAIS at (860) 868-0518 or events@iaismuseum.org
09/9/24
Press Conference to Support Schaghticoke Tribal Nation’s Federal Recognition
Chief Velky is calling upon all tribal members and allies to stand united at an important press conference for the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation (STN). This event will be a significant step in showing strong, collective support for the tribe’s reinstatement of Federal Recognition.
Message from Chief Velky:
Hello Everyone,
The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation will be holding a press conference on September 12, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. at the Station Restaurant (195 Water St, Naugatuck, CT 06770).
STN has received letters of support from both Federal Tribes in Connecticut, as well as State Senators, Mayors, Selectmen, State Representatives, and many others who stand with us in our efforts for the reinstatement of Federal Recognition. A strong turnout of tribal members and friends will amplify this message to the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), showing that there is widespread backing for STN’s cause.
Please do what you can to attend, and bring family and friends. A crowd of 60 to 70 people would make a significant impact. Council Members, you may be asked to address the press.
Hope to see you there!
Thank you,
Chief Velky
09/3/24
Senator Osten Fundraiser: September 24, 2024
Fundraiser for Senator Osten Rescheduled
We are pleased to announce that the fundraiser for Senator Osten has been rescheduled. Please join us on Tuesday, September 24, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation Reservation.
This event is an important opportunity to support Senator Osten, a strong advocate for our community. Your presence and contributions are invaluable as we work together to ensure that our voices are heard.
Come and be part of this meaningful evening, where we can show our collective support and commitment to a brighter future for our tribe.
Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Schaghticoke Tribal Nation Reservation
We look forward to seeing you there!
08/19/24
Three CT tribes rejected by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs 20 years ago could get recognized
The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation is at a pivotal moment in its quest for federal recognition, as highlighted in a recent CT Insider article. This recognition is crucial for securing resources and sovereignty for the tribe.
The article outlines the historical and bureaucratic obstacles that Connecticut tribes, including the Schaghticoke, have faced. Recent legislative and advocacy efforts have made some progress, but significant challenges remain.
The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation continues to work closely with federal agencies and lawmakers to advance its recognition. The tribe remains dedicated to overcoming these barriers and appreciates the support of its allies.
Stay tuned for more updates as the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation and our brothers and sisters of the Eastern Pequot and Golden Hill Paugussett’s moves forward in this important journey.
07/10/24
Fundraiser for Senator Osten *Canceled*
Due to inclement weather, unfortunately our scheduled Fundraiser on the Reservation from 5 -7 p.m. for Senator Catherine Osten has been canceled. Please be on the look out for future fundraisers and events.
09/25/23
Connecticut Sun Puts on Inaugural Indigenous Peoples’ Night
In August, The Sun celebrated its place as the only professional sports team owned by a Native American tribe by showcasing many cultural elements of the Mohegan Tribe and other Tribal Nations in the region. The night also served as the organization’s way of highlighting the Mohegan Tribe’s Wigwam (Green Corn) Festival—a celebration of thanks and a symbol of Tribal survival honoring past and present Tribal members.
The Connecticut Sun honored members of the following Tribal Nations: The Mohegan Tribe, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Eastern Pequots, Golden Hill Paugussett, Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, and Narragansett Tribe.
The celebration and opportunities for learning about Tribal culture continued throughout the game, with an interview with Kristin Emilyta discussing how she came up with the Item of the Game design; an interview with Beth Regan and Pat LaPierre, members of the Mohegan Council of Elders; a primetime performance by the Shantok Nation comprised of Mohegan Tribal Youth; an honorary tip being thrown by Tribal Elder Phil Russell; a halftime “Horse Hill” performance; and a sacred postgame drum circle titled “Horse Hill with Intertribal Dances.”
For the full article please click here – we hope you are able to attend next years very important Indigenous Peoples Night to celebrate our local Tribal Nations, their history, and their culture with us!
06/12/23
Connecticut Tribes Co-create State Social Studies Curriculum
Students visiting the Institute for Indian American Studies Museum in Washington, Conn. hear from Darlene Kascak, education coordinator and a traditional Native American storyteller with the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation.
Centering “our culture and our ways”
We are celebrating the huge movement in the state of Connecticut with our Connecticut tribes co-creating the new social studies curriculum.
The State Department of Education and five of us Connecticut tribal nations have been working together to meet a legislative mandate calling for Native American curriculum for K-12 social studies classes. Resources with localized information from the tribal nations – Eastern Pequot, Mashantucket Pequot, Mohegan, Schaghticoke and Golden Hill Paugussett – are expected to be available in January 2024.
This interview below, is a preview of this collaboration with educators from the Mohegan Tribal Nation and our Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, as well as State Department of Education social studies advisor Steve Armstrong.
Our STN traditional Native American storyteller, Darlene Kascak and education coordinator for the Institute of American Indian Studies explains the importance of centering, and distinguishing, each tribe’s story and voice.
This is a proud moment in our tribal history to have our voices seen, heard, and shared with the world.
Guests in the interview:
Darlene Kascak: Education Coordinator, Institute of American Indian Studies; Traditional Native American Storyteller, Schaghticoke Tribal Nation
Sam Cholewa Tondreau: Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Mohegan Tribal Nation
Steve Armstrong: Social Studies Consultant, Connecticut State Department of Education
07/23/22
News From Brown: Summer Institute Empowers High Schoolers To Confront Historical, Contemporary Injustices.
As one of the only Native students in her school, Cate McDonough, a rising junior from Cranston, R.I., and a member of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, said she enrolled in the summer institute to build the knowledge needed to challenge traditional historical narratives.
“By learning and being here, I hope to speak up more and not feel like I’m a bother or that my existence is difficult or an extra step for people,” she said. “Black and Indigenous histories should be a bigger part of our curriculum, and I hope to have the strength and knowledge to stand up and advocate for it.”
Continue Reading Here: https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-07-22/reimagining-histories-summer-institute
06/3/22
The Day: Chief Hockeo Roy Sebastian, Longtime leader of Eastern Pequot Tribe, dies
North Stonington — Members of the Eastern Pequot Tribe will keep a ceremonial fire burning on the tribe’s reservation land until sunset Friday to honor the memory of Chief Hockeo, Roy Sebastian, lifetime sachem and longtime spiritual leader, who died Tuesday morning at age 95.
According to tribal tradition, the ceremonial fire will remain burning for three days to honor the chief, along with drumming and other ceremonial traditions. The fire will be extinguished after the drumming ends and sunset begins Friday, Tribal Chairman Mitchel Ray said Thursday.
“He was one of the kindest people I have met, from his voice and the things he would say,” Ray, who was elected tribal chairman in September, said Thursday. “He was kind and loved by us all.”
Current Tribal Vice Chairwoman Brenda Geer, a 30-year Tribal Council member, recalled that Sebastian “was soft-spoken.”
“But when he spoke,” she said, “you listened.”
Sebastian dedicated his life fighting for “tribal rights, lands and people,” his daughter, Katherine Sebastian Dring, past Tribal Council chairwoman, wrote in a biography published in the tribe’s newsletter May 15.
He worked tirelessly with tribal leaders, historians and supporters to put together what tribal leaders said they were told at the time was the best application to gain federal government recognition, with more than 70,000 documents submitted. The battle first was won, with recognition approved in 2002, and then lost when the decision was reversed in 2005 after objections were raised by dozens of Connecticut towns and the state.
Geer called the reversed decision by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs “absolutely devastating for everyone.” But she said Sebastian never lost hope and worked to keep tribal culture alive.
“He said ‘stay connected to the land. Preserve the land,’” Geer recalled. “We have one of the oldest reservations in the state.”
Sebastian served as tribal chairman of the state-recognized tribe from 1976 to 1997. At the tribe’s annual meeting in 1997, he was declared sachem for life, Dring wrote in the biography. Twice, the Mashantucket-Pequot Tribal Nation honored Sebastian, in 1994 at that tribe’s Schemitzun festival for his dedication to maintaining the Eastern Pequot Tribe’s sovereignty, and in 1996 with the presentation of an eagle feather headdress.
“He often led ceremonial and burial services on their historic reservation (established in 1683) and at other community and sacred places,” Dring wrote.
Sebastian especially encouraged tribal families to teach traditions, ceremonies and tribal dances to the children to ensure they would live on in future generations, Geer said.
During his leadership tenure, Dring wrote, her father worked with her, the Tribal Council and members to petition successfully for federal grants for tribal services.
“He is remembered by all who have known him as a well-respected elder who constantly fought for his tribe, land and people,” Dring wrote, “praying: ‘Tabuttantam Manitoo, Sunnamatta Wetomp? Cowammaunuck.’ (Thank you Creator. Is it not so, dear friend? We loved thee.”
Sebastian was born July 25, 1926, in Old Mystic, one of seven children of parents Roy Emanuel Sebastian and Julia Sebastian. He married Virginia Rose Basket and they had three children: Katherine, Patricia and Gwendolyn. He has six grandchildren.
His name, Hockeo, means “the body” in Algonquian language, Dring wrote in his biography. The name was passed down from his great grandfather to his grandfather, to his father and then to him.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 12, on Eastern Pequot Reservation, Wright Road, North Stonington.
04/10/22
HARTFORD COURANT: Schaghticoke Tribal Nation Supports Connecticut City’s Red Raiders’ Nickname
By PAT EATON-ROBB AP Sports Writer -Mar 31, 2022 at 7:10 pm
A small American Indian tribe is supporting Derby’s attempt to retain funding put in jeopardy by its continued use of a Native American mascot and imagery for its schools’ athletic teams.
The Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, which has just over 100 members in Western Connecticut, passed a resolution this month supporting the city of Derby’s use of the nickname “Red Raiders” and logos that include an arrowhead and the profile of the head of an American Indian.
The tribe says it supports the use of those images “as a public means of sustaining Native American culture and history of Connecticut’s first citizens,” according to the March 15 resolution from the tribal council.
Derby Board of Education Chair Jim Gildea said city officials sat down with tribal leaders, including Schaghticoke Chief Richard Velky, to discuss the issue. He said the city explained the images are meant to honor the area’s Native American heritage. He also said the term “Red Raiders” has nothing to do with skin color.
“It’s similar to the Duke Blue Devils, the Tulane Green Wave,” he said. “Through the years, people may have lost sight of that, but Derby High School’s colors are red and white.”
The state last year enacted a law that requires municipalities whose athletic teams use Native American names or mascots to receive written support from a state or federally recognized tribe in Connecticut or risk losing state grants derived from revenue at the state’s two tribal casinos, The Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino.
Most of Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns receive a grant from the Mashantucket Pequot/Mohegan Fund, with extra money earmarked for communities located near the gaming centers. The amounts are based on a formula that involves a number of factors, including the value of untaxable property within the community. Payments are made three times a year and can total as much as $5 million or more for the larger cities.
Derby is slated to receive $207,304 for the 2023 fiscal year, according to the state.
The Schaghticokes do not contribute to the fund, but Gildea said that should not matter.
“We should not cherry pick which Native American, state-recognized tribe we decide to give the ability to grant waivers to,” he said. “They are all honorable, decent tribes who are state recognized and that should be the only litmus test.”
Several Connecticut municipalities, including West Hartford and Montville have voted to end the use of Native American mascots. Glastonbury recently rejected HAR an attempt to restore the nickname “Tomahawks” to its schools.
The National Congress of American Indians declined to comment specifically on the Schaghticoke’s decision, but said it supports the retirement of Native “themed” mascots at all levels absent a formal agreement with a sovereign tribal nation.
“NCAI shares the unified voice of hundreds of Tribal Nations, and that voice has been consistent and clear for decades: stereotypical and dehumanizing sports mascots, monikers and symbols cause well-documented harms to Native people, particularly Native youth, and they have no place in American society,” the organization said in a statement.
Gildea said there was no quid pro quo involved in the tribe’s support of Derby’s application to the state. But he said the school district has agreed to work with the tribe, which is based in Kent but has offices in Derby, on educational programs centered around Native American history in the area.
Chief Velky and officials with the governor’s office and the state Office of Policy and Management tribe did not return phone calls and emails seeking comment.
09/15/17
CT Law Tribune: Judge Weighs Dismissal of Schaghticoke’s $610M Lawsuit Against State
Judge Weighs Dismissal of Schaghticoke’s $610M Lawsuit Against State
Robert Storace, The Connecticut Law Tribune September 14, 2017
Whether the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation can continue its fight to reclaim $610 million from the state of Connecticut for taking reservation lands is now in the hands of a Superior Court judge.
The state made sovereign immunity and a lack of standing due to a dispute between two factions within the Schaghticoke its cornerstone argument for dismissal. The nation is suing the state saying it’s owed damages for land taken from its northwestern Connecticut reservation beginning more than two centuries ago.
The nation claims the state seized 2,000 acres of its 2,400-acre reservation without proper payment despite promises to do so.
Both sides agreed prior to Thursday’s hearing in Hartford Superior Court that lack of standing would be the only topic discussed.
Assistant Attorney General Rob Deichert repeatedly fielded questions from Judge Thomas Moukawsher about whether the dispute between the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation and the competing government, the Schaghticoke Indian Tribe, was “substantial.”
“The fact that there is a dispute can’t be enough,” the judge said. “Don’t I have to find there is a substantial dispute?”
Deichert said, “Our position is clear: There is a leadership dispute and it has been substantial for decades.”
The Schaghticoke split in two factions in 1986: the tribe and the nation. Lawsuits filed since the split have acknowledged the two factions, which Deichert claims is part of the ongoing “substantial” dispute.
The nation and the tribe also have separate tribal constitutions. Richard Velky, who was in court Thursday, was elected chief for life for the nation in 1987. Alan Russell is chief of the tribe and is not a party to the current lawsuit.
Deichert also told the court a favorable decision for the nation could preclude other factions “from bringing claims later. We know there are other factions out there.”
Deichert brought up the Connecticut Appellate Court case of Schaghticoke Indian Tribe v. Rost to bolster the state’s claim. The 2012 case dealt with the eviction of Michael Rost from Schaghticoke land, and involved the dispute over tribal leadership.
Austin Tighe, representing the nation, insisted his client has standing.
“We have a tribal council that passed a resolution and at least six members brought the lawsuit on behalf of the tribe.”
Tighe, of counsel for the Texas-based law firm Nix, Patterson & Roach, told the courtroom the state is looking for a way out of the lawsuit.
After the hearing, Tighe said, “This entire idea that there is a leadership dispute is a fiction created by the state only after they were sued for $610 million.”
Tighe declined to comment further. Deichert declined to comment afterward.
09/5/17
Indian Country Today: Schaghticoke Tribal Nation’s $610 Million Lawsuit Against CT Inches Forward
Gale Courey Toensing • September 3, 2017
The first court action in a lawsuit filed a year ago by the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation against the State of Connecticut will take place this month. The complaint claims the State of Connecticut owes the tribe more than $610 million in mismanaged land use trust funds. A pretrial evidentiary hearing will be held at Connecticut Superior Court in Hartford on September 14 on the state’s motion to dismiss the case.
Continue Reading Here: https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/politics/schaghticoke-610-million-lawsuit-connecticut/
07/28/17
CT Law Tribune: Texas Attorney Going to Bat for Conn. Native American Tribe
ROBERT STORACE, The Connecticut Law Tribune July 13, 2017
When noted Texas attorney Austin Tighe was sought to represent the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation in the tribe’s $610 million lawsuit against Connecticut, he said he jumped at the opportunity.
As with other cases he’s taken on behalf of Native American tribes seeking redress against the government, Tighe, 51, said he believes the case has clear merit. “I was attracted to this case based on three facts,” he said. “No. 1, the state took the Schaghticokes’ land. No. 2, the state promised to pay for that land and broke that promise; and No. 3, the U.S. Constitution and the Connecticut Constitution require the payment of fair compensation for taking of land.”
The Schaghticokes claim the state seized 2,000 of the tribe’s 2,400 acres of land in Western Connecticut from 1801 to 1918 without proper payment, and despite promises of compensation. For Tighe, issues related to the plight of Native Americans are something he holds close to his heart.
“There was a real sense of injustice that was visited upon these tribes over a long period of time,” Tighe said. “In all of the cases in which I represent the tribes, the common thread is the government’s failure to deliver on its promises to some of the nation’s first families.”
Tighe said he has always had an interest in American Indian law but “my focus on representing tribal interests has accelerated in the past three to four years.”
Later this month, Tighe will be in Connecticut to personally argue against the state’s contention that the Hartford Superior Court does not have jurisdiction to hear the tribe’s claims. “The court does have jurisdiction to hear our claims,” he said. “They are true. The state promised to pay for the land and never did. These are all procedural [issues] and we look forward to addressing them and moving the case forward to trial.”
In essence, Tighe said, the state has no answer as to why the tribe’s land was taken over the course of more than a century. He said the state is trying to throw monkey wrenches into what he believes is a solid case.
After meeting several times with Schaghticoke Chief Richard Velky, Tighe said he was “very impressed with their knowledge and very impressed with their passion. A strong relationship with the client is key for me. Because I only take cases on a contingency fee basis, I am investing in my clients like they are investing in me which results in a real sense of common purpose.”
Former U.S. Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, senior counsel for Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman in New York City, is also defending the tribe. Tighe said partnering with Lieberman is a joy.
“Joe is just like you see him on TV or in the well of the Senate,” Tighe said. “He is very thoughtful, honorable and straightforward. He brings a real sense of perspective on every issue that comes up.”
Of the half-dozen tribal cases Tighe has handled, two were resolved. One is confidential, and another out of Oklahoma, in which he represented the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes, was settled for $186 million in 2015. “We were alleging the government failed to properly protect tribal interests in the sale of about 1.3 million acres of tribal timberland between 1908 and 1940,” he said.
The more they see, the more Tighe’s contemporaries say he is an expert at distilling facts and getting to the central point of a case. After that, he fights like heck to win. Tighe on your side in a legal matter “is like having your own Doberman,” some say.
“He tries to communicate, both in writing and orally, in a brief and succinct manner — a very understandable manner,” said Jim Reed, a founding partner of Gray, Reed & McGraw in Houston. “He is not the only attorney who does that, but a lot of lawyers do not. Many times, judges get communication styles that are hard to understand. His is not.”
Tighe’s admirers say he also puts his all into each case, and works at a pace many lawyers find hard to match. “It’s more than just going the extra mile. I doubt he even sleeps, because he is going at it all the time,” said Brian Kabateck, founding and managing partner of Kabateck Brown Kellner in Los Angeles.
Kabateck worked with Tighe representing the NAACP in a landmark predatory lending lawsuit against major banks. “The guy would constantly be calling, emailing and talking to try to set up meetings at all hours of the day. He was and is extremely aggressive. I always want to work with someone who works at least as hard as I do, and that is Austin.”
Tighe has worked for several firms in Texas and spent a brief stint in Chicago. He has worked for Nix, Patterson & Roach in Austin, Texas, since August 2015, and has represented plaintiffs for the firm in consumer class actions, represented Fortune 100 companies, policyholder actions against insurance companies, commercial litigation, and personal injury, among other cases. One case he is particularly proud of is leading a class action on behalf of retired NFL players against EA Sports. The case, which has been going on for years with hopes to finalize later this year, involves allegations that EA used the likenesses of about 2,600 retired players in its Madden football games. “We are seeking compensation for the players,” Tighe said. “EA has generated a giant amount of profit. We are looking at potentially tens of millions of dollars.”
Tighe said he got hooked on becoming a lawyer after the 9th grade, when he went to a big New York City law firm where a friend’s father worked. “I got to see how lawyers work for a few days. One lawyer even let me watch a hearing in the Eastern District of Manhattan. After that, I was hooked. I rode the train back to Summit [in New Jersey] and said to myself that I knew what I wanted to do.”
Part of that passion has included seeing the law as a noble profession, Tighe said. “It does a tremendous amount of good,” Tighe said, adding, “There is a lot of talk in how important the amendments are to the Constitution. There is often a lot of talk about the First and Second Amendments. But, people who really focus on those amendments will tell you that all of the amendments were designed to be held in equal esteem, and that would include the Seventh Amendment.”
But the amendment that provides for a right to trial by jury, Tighe noted, is under attack “by people who think arbitration should take the place of right to jury trial and by various political interests. It’s a more noble profession — now more than ever, maybe. We, as plaintiffs attorneys, defend and foster citizen rights under the Seventh Amendment.”
05/24/17
FOX BUSINESS: Tribal Casino Bill Faces Challenges Despite Senate Passage
On Wednesday, the Kent-based Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, which wants to open its own casino, announced it “will have no alternative” but to sue the state if the legislation allowing the two federally recognized tribes to open the $200 million-to-$300 million East Windsor facility prevails.
Continue Reading Here: http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/05/24/tribal-casino-bill-faces-challenges-despite-senate-passage.html
05/16/17
Schaghticoke Head to the Capitol
A bus with dozens of tribe members arrived at the Legislative Office Building at 10:30 am on May 9th to ask lawmakers to seek a competitive and open process if the state is to seek commercial gaming. We spoke to the media and legislators about why an open process is so important, and asked an important question:
Why not us?
05/10/17
FOX 61 NEWS: House Speaker Increasing Odds For Casino Gambling Expansion
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH)– The Speaker of the Connecticut House says he is increasing the odds that an expansion of casino gambling will pass this year. The prediction comes in the aftermath of greater red ink, and as a third Native American Tribe says they can increase the stakes for the state.
The third tribe is the state recognized Schaghticokes. You will recall they got federal recognition 13 years ago, only to have the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs reverse their ruling in the aftermath of massive public and political pressure here in Connecticut. But the Schaghticokes say they still have friends in the gambling industry that will bankroll them.
Lead by tribal chairman Richard Velky, members of the Kent based Scahghticoke Tribe invaded the Capitol complex today, urging that they be allowed to compete for a third gambling casino that they would like to establish southwest of New Haven to take advantage of what all parties agree is the potentially lucrative metropolitan New York City area.
“Anywhere in Fairfield County, preferably for me, probably be Bridgeport. We have always show an interest in Bridgeport. Bridgeport has always shown an interest in the Schaghticoke,” said Velky.
Continue Reading Here: http://wtnh.com/2017/05/09/house-speaker-increasing-odds-for-casino-gambling-expansion/
05/9/17
The Day- Tribes’ third-casino bill clears Appropriations Committee
Published May 08. 2017 4:32PM | Updated May 08. 2017 8:11PM
By Brian Hallenbeck Day staff writer
http://www.theday.com/article/20170508/NWS01/170509384
The legislature’s Appropriations Committee voted Monday to approve the bill that would enable the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes to develop a commercial casino in East Windsor.
Senate Bill 957 passed 33-13. Six members of the 52-member committee were absent.
The bill still must be approved by the Senate and the House before Gov. Dannel P. Malloy considers whether to sign it into law. A negative vote in the Appropriations Committee would have killed the proposal
An alternative measure that’s also being considered, House Bill 7319, would establish a competitive-bidding process among operators interested in developing a third Connecticut casino. It would require the passage of further legislation before a commercial casino could be opened in the state.
The tribes, respective owners of Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun, are pursuing a third casino as a hedge against the anticipated impact of MGM Springfield, a $950 million resort casino being built in Massachusetts. Connecticut stands to lose thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in revenue if it fails to defend its turf, the tribes maintain.
“This was an important vote today because the Appropriations Committee members clearly recognized the value of saving jobs in Connecticut, jobs that are in most every city and town in the state,” Sen. Cathy Osten, the Sprague Democrat who co-chairs the committee, said. “There are 140 communities in Connecticut that send 12,000 employees to work in the gaming industry every day. … Today’s vote was a vote to stop MGM from destroying Connecticut jobs.”
Before the vote on the bill, several proposed amendments were defeated. The amendments sought to require a referendum in East Windsor, to set amounts of payments to towns surrounding the proposed casino and a provision that would have provided the state’s off-track betting system with a share of the casino’s revenues.
Osten was joined by other members of the southeastern Connecticut delegation in supporting the Senate bill, including Sens. Paul Formica, R-East Lyme, also Senate co-chairman of the committee; and Heather Somers, R-Groton, as well as Reps. Mike France, R-Ledyard; Kathleen McCarty, R-Waterford; and Kevin Ryan, D-Montville. Rep. Chris Soto, D-New London, recused himself from voting, citing an unspecified conflict.
“Another week, another milestone passed,” said Kevin Brown, the Mohegan tribal chairman.
“We thank the committee for its work and look forward to a continued discussion with our partners in government,” Rodney Butler, the Mashantucket chairman, said.
Members of the two tribes descended on the Capitol last week to lobby for passage of Senate Bill 957. This week, members of another Connecticut tribe, the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, will travel to Hartford to deliver an altogether different message.
“A fair and open process is the only way for the state to go if we are serious about pursuing commercial gaming in Connecticut,” Schaghticoke Chief Richard Velky said Monday. “House Bill 7319 is the bill that gives us that process, and we have more than 40 members of our tribe coming to Hartford on Tuesday to urge support of it.”
Unlike the Mashantuckets and the Mohegans, the Schaghticokes have not been recognized by the federal government, status that would enable them to pursue a federally regulated tribal casino on their reservation in Kent. Instead, the Schaghticokes are now focused on pursuing a commercial casino on nontribal land.
“Studies clearly show southwestern Connecticut has five times the value for gaming development that East Windsor does,” Velky said. “This means thousands of good jobs can be created, the state will have access to the New York market we simply do not have in north central Connecticut, and Schaghticoke Tribal Nation will have a pathway to compete along with everyone else.
“Our tribe stands ready, willing and able to compete for the right to offer commercial casino gaming in southwestern Connecticut — all we need is an open process and a pathway to compete, which this bill (7319) gives us,” he said.
House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said last week the third-casino debate could be dealt with as part of the state’s budget process.
Osten, who has said she’s confident the Senate will pass Senate Bill 957, said she prefers the matter be decided by a bipartisan vote on a standalone bill.
“That would give people an opportunity to see exactly what they’re voting on,” she said. “This bill might need some tweaking but I think both sides are pleased with the direction it’s going in.”
03/20/17
FOX 61 NEWS: Public Safety Committee Approves Two Casino Bills, One Step Closer To House and Senate Vote
“The Public Safety and Security Committee did the prudent thing today in heeding Attorney General Jepsen’s warning and passing House Bill 7239—if there is going to be a third casino, a fair and equitable process executed in an orderly fashion is the only way the citizens of Connecticut can succeed without jeopardizing funding to the state….” said Chief Richard Velky in a statement by the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation.
Continue reading here: http://fox61.com/2017/03/15/public-safety-committee-approves-2-casino-bills-allowing-process-to-move-forward/
03/13/17
“Mornings With Ray Dunaway” With STN Chief Richard Velky, 3/9/17
Chief Richard Velky of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation joined Ray to discuss casino expansion in the state. Should there be outside competition to build a commercial casino in Connecticut, beyond the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes’ plans? Does the state even need another casino? Get insight from Chief Velky…
To Listen Click Here: http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2017/03/10/ray-dunaway-casino-expansion-in-connecticut/
03/10/17
CT Post: Bridgeport Casino Still In Play
“Schaghticoke Chief Richard Velky backed the competitive bid bill and, in a show of solidarity, brought a group of tribal members to the hearing dressed in bright red shirts……Southwestern Connecticut offers a growing opportunity that is five times the size of the market north of Hartford, a market that can only decline with the high-end competition from Springfield,” Velky said. “Connecticut citizens demand a better deal, so why not us?”