Joyful shouts echoed through the rotunda of the Capitol building Tuesday night as members of the Forest County Potawatomi tribe celebrated the Republican senators’ one-vote-short attempt to override Gov. Jim Doyle’s veto of legislative oversight of tribal gaming compacts.

Tribe members were ecstatic because the Senate didn’t override Doyle’s veto of a bill last week that gave a legislative check on the negotiation of compacts with the state’s 11 tribes in perpetuity. Republican legislators held an emergency session last week to pass a bill requiring legislative approval of gaming compacts after learning that Doyle’s negotiations would be permanent.

Doyle, who disagreed with Republican claims that the compacts he negotiated could never be changed, vetoed the bill Friday.

Monday, the Senate met while GOP senators tried to organize the necessary two-thirds majority to override Doyle’s veto. Republican Senators said they mistakenly thought they had convinced three Democrats to jump party lines on the vote, giving them the necessary majority of 21 votes to override Doyle’s veto. Just before the matter came to vote, it became apparent the dissenting Democrats would return to party lines.

Sen. Bob Welch, R-Redgranite, said the Democrats held caucus and, although he was not privy to their conversations, said Doyle appeared for a short time to lean on his party members.

“The Democrats didn’t have enough votes to uphold the governor’s veto, and then after a lot of closed-door meetings, they suddenly did,” Welch said. “We decided to sit on it, because something didn’t seem quite right.”

The Senate reconvened Tuesday morning and debated for much of the day, retreating into political party caucus to strategize for the final vote, which came just before 6 p.m.

Sen. Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, and Sen. Gary George, D-Milwaukee, were the only Democrats to vote opposite their party.

Chvala has a conflicted history with Doyle, who, as attorney general, investigated Chvala’s involvement in the caucus scandal. Chvala is currently charged with 19 felony counts as a result of that investigation.

George spoke fervently in favor of overriding Doyle’s veto just before the Senate called roll for the vote. George said Doyle’s compacts would have a great effect on his district, which is home to one of the state’s largest casinos, and said Doyle had not conversed with Milwaukee’s mayor, legislators or county executive about possible effects of the compacts.

“All we do around here is worry about gambling,” George said. “At least we should override this veto so it can be put before our constituency.”

Former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson vetoed similar legislation in the past, doing what George called a great disservice to the state.

After George spoke, the Senate polled itself and fell one short vote of overriding Doyle’s veto.

Doyle called the vote a victory for the taxpayers of Wisconsin. Doyle is depending on the $237 million provided by the new gaming compacts to keep his two-year budget plan balanced and negate huge funding cuts to public schools, vital services, health care and the University of Wisconsin System.

Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, said the Republicans expected Sen. Roger Breske, D-Eland, to join Chvala and George in voting with the Republicans.

Darling said Republicans would try to push another bill featuring the compact negotiation reform through the Legislature by the end of the week.

“We’re going to start again,” Darling said. “People throughout Wisconsin will be outraged that the Legislature won’t have any say in these compacts which affect the state in so many ways, economically and culturally.”