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Poarch Band of Creek Indians

News / State

A straight lottery is great for the Poarch Creeks, not so great for the rest of Alabama

In Michigan in 2017, the state’s 19 tribal casinos contributed roughly $97 million worth of their profits to state and local government entities — their end of tribal-state gaming compacts. Also in 2017, just three commercial casinos in Detroit sent nearly $300 million to state and local coffers — their end of standard taxes applied … Continued
February 26, 2019

Poarch Creek leadership keeps taking from state while giving nothing in return

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior Indian Affairs, federally recognized tribes like the Poarch Band of Creek Indians are protected against encroachment by other sovereigns, such as the states. So, why does the Alabama State Legislature show submissiveness to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians? For at least ten years, PCI has slowly … Continued
January 8, 2019

The Poarch Creek Indians were noticeably absent in the 2018 election cycle. There’s a good reason why.

Throughout the 2018 election cycle, as major donors and top political action committees dumped needed cash into the campaign accounts of their chosen politicians, there was one major player in the state that remained remarkably quiet. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians. While PCI dumped buckets of cash into various PACs, it did so mostly … Continued
November 29, 2018

The myth of the “simple lottery bill”

There is no such thing as a “simple lottery bill” in the state of Alabama. You hear this phrase a lot from state lawmakers, as they field the inevitable questions about gambling that pop up prior to each legislative session or prior to elections in which one candidate — usually a Democrat — has proposed … Continued
September 6, 2018

A Poarch Creek runoff election captures the pains of the tribe’s rapid growth, influence in the state

Ask about tribal elections among members of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and you almost always get a wry smile in return. “There’s no polling necessary, I’ll just say that,” said a tribal member prior to this year’s elections in June. The member wished to remain anonymous, fearful of losing employment on the reservation. … Continued
August 3, 2018

Poarch Indians plan to wine and dine at BCA event

In what insiders are describing as a stunning show of arrogance, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians is hosting an extravagant dinner for elected officials at the upcoming Business Council of Alabama summer conference. Even while the corporations, which recently left BCA, are negotiating a return, PCI is flexing its muscle by offering to wine … Continued
July 24, 2018

BCA takes out the trash, finally

In a last-ditch effort to save the Business Council of Alabama from the dung heap of political obscurity, President and CEO Billy Canary was pushed out of the business association late last Friday after he waged an ugly and protracted battle to remain in power. Canary’s fight to keep his job has left the once … Continued
July 9, 2018

“We are BCA,” claims Indian Tribal Council Vice Chair

Recently, Poarch Band of Creek Indians Vice Chair Robbie McGhee told a statewide candidate what many insiders have known for sometime. “We are BCA,” boastfully proclaimed the tribal leader. McGhee is known as a shortsighted, impulsive leader who uses PCI’s vast riches like a child in a toy store whose reach exceeds his grasp. For … Continued
June 11, 2018

BCA, ALFA and PCI support candidates with a history of misogyny

In the era of the #MeToo movement, it should be shocking that the Business Council of Alabama, the Alabama Farmers Federation and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians are supporting men for statewide office who have either protected sexual predators or are themselves accused spouse abusers. The popular novel, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” … Continued
May 14, 2018