Yesterday, the federal court in DC denied a motion for a preliminary injunction filed by the Florida AG Bill McCollum that would have prevented the Secretary of Interior from publishing the approval of the Class III gaming compact between the Florida Seminoles and the State of Florida.
Here are the materials:
From the Journal Newspapers:
A delegation of city officials hope elected officials will be swayed by testimony they plan to give regarding the impact a casino would have in Wayne County before the Legislature early in 2008.
On December 7, 2007, the St Croix Tribe of Chippewa filed a suit against Dirk Kempthorne and Carl Artman. The Tribe has been working with the Bad River Chippewa and the City of Beloit (Wisconsin) to develop a casino in the city (which is not located within either Tribe’s reservation). The suit alleges that DOI has reversed its procedure of applying the two-step IGRA section 20 determination before the 25 CFR Part 151 determination. The Tribe claims that seeking the Part 151 determination first will be futile because of Secretary Kempthorne’s personal views on off-reservation gaming. The Tribes have already spent a great deal of time and money in developing the plan, meeting the requirements of the various applicable environmental laws, et cetera.
From the Morning Sun:
By MARK RANZENBERGER
Sun Online Editor
It doesn’t seem likely that the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe will meet its self-imposed deadline of opening the Saganing Eagle’s Landing Casino by year’s end.
From the International Herald Tribune:
Across the United States, casino operators point to consumer worries, along with higher gas prices, as factors explaining a drop-off in revenues.
From Indianz:
Housekeeping staff at the casino owned by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan voted down a union by a 2-1 margin on Thursday. Nearly all the full- and part-time housekeeping staff at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort participated in the election. They voted against joining the Teamsters union by 192 to 88. The National Labor Relations Board oversaw the election, the second of its kind at a tribal casino. Dealers at the Foxwoods Resort Casino, owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut, voted overwhelmingly last month to join the United Auto Workers.
Get the Story:
Teamsters turned down by casino workers (The Mt. Pleasant Morning Sun 12/21)
From the NIGC:
Washington DC, December 17, 2007 — On Friday, December 14, 2008, National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) Chairman Phil Hogen approved a gaming management contract between the Hurron Band of Potawatomi Indians and Gaming Entertainment (Michigan) LLC.
From the Citizen Patriot:
Leaders of the of Potawatomi Indians announced Monday a Lansing contractor will build its $270 million casino in Calhoun County.
From Indianz:
The Bush administration is facing tribal criticism for its land-into-trust policies but officials have at least one court victory under their belts.
In a 16-page decision issued last Thursday, a federal judge in California dismissed a suit against Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and Assistant Secretary Carl Artman. The two officials were accused of violating federal law with a legal opinion that said the Ione Band of Miwok Indians could open a casino in Amador County.
Here are the briefs:
From the Detroit Free Press (H/T Indianz):
December 13, 2007
The chairman of the Greektown Casino board of directors has been forced to step down after being accused of assaulting a woman who fought off his sexual advances.
Turtle Talk 
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