MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP, MI-- State officials are urging the federal government to reject a gas station proposed by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.
The tribe wants to construct the station by 41 Lumber in Marquette Township.
A lawyer for Governor Rick Snyder says the gas station proposed by the KBIC would have an advantage over other gas stations because it wouldn't have to collect state sales tax.
Deputy legal counsel Dave Murley is urging the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs not to place the land into trust for the tribe, a key procedural step.
Tribal officials say they’re disappointed by objections from state officials. They say the tribe has operated a gas station in Baraga for more than a decade and faces competition there. They say gas station owners and operators in and around Marquette want to insulate themselves from competition.
