Bucks President Not Enthusiastic About Menominee Proposal To Fund Arena

The Milwaukee Bucks gave a cool reception to the Menominee Nation’s latest casino proposal, which has been given a pass by the Walker administration.

The Wisconsin Tribe and the Florida Seminoles offered to pay the roughly $200 million that Gov. Scott Walker had proposed borrowing for a new basketball arena for the Bucks. In exchange, they had asked for state approval of a Menominee casino and entertainment complex at Kenosha. Walker rejected the casino project proposal in January, and state Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said that the governor won’t drop his opposition based on the new offer.

Bucks President Peter Feigin said he’s still behind the governor’s borrowing plan.

“We stand by how excited we are about the governor’s leadership and building the legislation toward what he started about a week ago. And we’re kind of in the midst of working with county and state authorities to really build a public-private partnership and build that legislation,” said Feigin.

Feigin said he’s not worried that some state lawmakers say it will be difficult to vote for the borrowing plan in the state budget, since Walker won’t approve the Menominee’s latest proposal.