Supreme Court approval tanks and tribe teams with Hard Rock in bid to open Kenosha casino

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·4 min read
51

Abortion decision has tanked approval of the Supreme Court, but so far there's little evidence it's transforming election, new poll finds

  • In the wake of the court’s recent abortion decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling that made abortion legal for the last 50 years, public opinion has dramatically polarized over the institution. And the court’s approval rating has plummeted, from 54% in March to 44% in May to a new low of 38% in July, according to a new national poll by Marquette.

  • But despite its profound impact on the court’s image, the poll found little evidence so far that the court’s huge abortion decision is upending the 2022 election landscape: Americans who oppose overturning Roe are no more enthusiastic about voting than they were before the decision. The same is true of people who support overturning Roe. And the enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans (Republicans are more excited than Democrats about voting in November) has not diminished. In fact, it has grown a little. In other words, the poll isn’t picking up any signs yet that the ruling is mobilizing Democrats more than Republicans.

  • “We see very big changes in perceptions of the court,” Marquette pollster Charles Franklin said. “But when we turn to the political side of the abortion issue, in measure after measure, there is simply no change from May (before the abortion decision) to July (after).” This doesn’t mean the abortion decision won’t have an impact on the November election, the remaining partisan primaries this year (such as Wisconsin’s Aug. 9 primaries), or future elections, as new abortion bans are enacted in some states.

Menominee tribe teaming up with Hard Rock in another bid to open an casino in Kenosha

  • Menominee Tribal Chairman Ronald J. Corn's statement confirms speculation that the tribe, based in Keshena, would again team up with Hard Rock to open a casino on about 60 acres of land located the east and west sides of 122nd Avenue in Kenosha. The Village of Bristol on Tuesday agreed to sell the land to Hard Rock, which is owned by the Seminole tribe in Florida, for more than $15 million.

  • This is at least the fourth time there has been an effort to open a casino in Kenosha. In 2015, then Gov. Scott Walker vetoed a bid by Hard Rock and the Menominee to open a Kenosha casino. The Forest County Potawatomi, which owns a profitable off-reservation casino in Milwaukee, led an intense lobbying campaign to kill the Kenosha casino in 2015. The Potawatomi are expected to vigorously oppose the latest effort by the poverty stricken Menominee to cash in on a Kenosha casino.

  • The Kenosha market has long been seen as a potential gold mine for a casino because of its location between Chicago and Milwaukee. Attempts to bring off-reservation gambling to the area date back to the 1990s. But Alan Meister, a tribal gaming expert and CEO at Meister Economic Consulting, noted that the market has changed over the years. On the Illinois side of the border, casinos have opened or are being proposed in Chicago, Rockford and Waukegan. In Wisconsin the Ho-Chunk tribe is planning to build a casino in Beloit.

Did someone share this newsletter with you? Sign up here to get it in your inbox.

The Money

JOBS: Wisconsin's job recovery from pandemic has been quick but 'uneven,' according to a new policy forum report.

SOUTH MILWAUKEE: A $35.7 million apartment and retail development on the former Bucyrus campus has been canceled in South Milwaukee.

The Fun Stuff

WEEKEND: 4 things to do in Milwaukee this weekend, including the Milwaukee Air & Water Show.

WEST ALLIS: The new Henry Flach's in West Allis aims to be a 'blue-collar steakhouse'

The Games

PACKERS: Mysteries abound over how the Packers' offensive line will shake out.

TRAINING CAMP: Green Bay Packers set times for first three training camp practices, July 27, 28 and 30 at Ray Nitschke Field.

Today's Weather

Sunny and hot with a high of 90 and a slight chance of late t-storms.

Not yet a Journal Sentinel subscriber? Please consider signing up at jsonline.com/deal.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Supreme Court approval tanks