WASHINGTON — A House vote is set for Wednesday on legislation that would clear the way for Indian casinos in Port Huron and Romulus.

The bills would let two Chippewa tribes — Sault Ste. Marie and Bay Mills — swap ancestral land they claim on the St. Mary River for casino sites. A fight over the legislation has dragged on more than five years.

On one side are Republican Rep. Candice Miller of Harrison Township, who supports the proposed Port Huron casino as a way to boost the economy, and Democratic Reps. John Dingell of Dearborn and Bart Stupak of Menominee; the UAW also backs the bills.

Opposing it are 53 House members — including Reps. John Conyers Jr., a Detroit Democrat, and Mike Rogers, a Brighton Republican — who say the land swap would undercut the Department of Interior’s oversight of Indian casino applications.

If the legislation passes the House, it would still need Senate passage this year and a presidential signature.

By Gannett News Service