Briefs Filed in Grand Ronde et al v. Jewell

Grand Ronde’s Motion for Summary Judgment
Grand Ronde Exhibit One
Clark County et al Motion for Summary Judgment

Previous coverage of the case here.

Federal Court in “Cunundrum” Orders Interior to Refile Cowlitz Record of Decision and Dismisses Grand Ronde et al. Suit

Here is the order  and related materials in Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon v. Salazar (D. D.C.):

DCT Order

Clark County et al Motion for Summary J

Interior Opposition to Summary J Motion

USET Amicus

City of La Center Amicus

Interior Revised Cowlitz Initial Reservation Opinion

Interior Motion to Remand

Clark County et al Opposition to Remand Motion

Clark County et al Motion to Strike

Interior Opposition to Motion to Strike

Clark County et al Reply in Support of Motion to Strike

Excerpt from Judge Rothstein’s opinion:

Nor can the Federal Defendants supplement the administrative record with the 2012 Revised Initial Reservation Decision. It is black letter law that the record to be considered by this Court “consists of the administrative record compiled by the agency in advance of litigation, not any record thereafter constructed in the reviewing court.” AT&T Info. Sys. Inc. v. Gen. Servs. Admin., 810 F.2d 1233, 1236 (D.C. Cir. 1987) (emphasis added) (rejecting agency’s attempt to submit a litigation affidavit as a post hoc rationalization of the agency’s action); see also, Center for Auto Safety v. Federal Highway Admin., 956 F.2d 309, 314 (D.C. Cir. 1992) (rejecting agency’s rationale as post hoc rationalization not included in administrative record); Am. Textile Mfrs. Inst., Inc. v. Donovan, 452 U.S. 490, 539-40 (1981) (“[P]ost hoc rationalization of the agency or the parties to this litigation cannot serve as a sufficient predicate for agency action”). Accordingly, the Federal Defendants cannot “incorporate” a 2012 explanation into a 2010 ROD by characterizing it as a “Supplemental Record of Decision.”

However, the Court is now in a conundrum. The Court notes that Plaintiffs opposed the Federal Defendants’ motion to remand, yet remand is the relief that they sought on the initial reservation determination because the agency had failed to provide a “reasoned explanation for his decision.” The Secretary has now provided such a reasoned explanation. Plaintiffs again oppose remand and ask the Court to strike the Supplemental ROD. If the Court were to grant Plaintiffs’ request, the parties would be litigating the 2010 Initial Reservation Determination, a determination that has been withdrawn and superceded. The Court will not waste its or the parties’ resources on such a fruitless endeavor. See Spencer v. Kemna, 523 U.S. 1, 18 (1998) (“[Federal courts] are not in the business of pronouncing that past actions which have no demonstrable continuing effect were right or wrong”). The Court is also cognizant of the fact that the parties have been locked in this battle for nearly eleven years. (TR at 13.). However, the APA requires that the Federal Defendants conform to its dictates, disallowing amendments to a final decision once a case has been filed in district court. Accordingly, the Court will remand this action to the agency with instructions to rescind the 2010 ROD. Since this is a case where the agency has already reconsidered and revised its final decision and since the parties represent to the Court that the agency is not required to provide public notice under IGRA (which is the only portion of the 2010 ROD being supplemented), the Court will require the agency to issue a new decision of record within sixty (60) days of the date of this order, unless good cause is shown why it cannot do so. See Fulton v. FPC, 512 F.2d 947, 955 (D.C. Cir. 1975).

News coverage here.

Pro Se Challenge to Cowlitz Membership Rules Dismissed as Frivolous

Here are the materials in Hill v. Dept. of Interior (W.D. Wash):

DCT Order Dismissing Hill Complaint

Hill Complaint

Quote of the Day: Intertribal Casino Wars and Private Casino Interlopers in Wash. and Ore.

Here is the article.

Here is the quote:

“It really burns my ass,” he says, “that we are going to have to spend tribal dollars that could be dedicated to causes like education, health care and poverty to fight these guys off again.”

Clark County v. Salazar: Complaint in Challenge to Cowlitz Trust Acquisition

As Indianz reported. Here is the complaint: County-BIA_lawsuit (from The Columbian website).

Cowlitz Trust Acquisition Record of Decision

Here: Cowlitz ROD

and here.

Also, the Cowlitz Tribe’s initial submission to BIA regarding the Carcieri issue: Cowlitz Carcieri Submission

Ninth Circuit Rejects City of Vancouver Challenge to Cowlitz Gaming Ordinance on Standing Grounds

Here is the unpublished opinion in City of Vancouver v. Skibine (h/t Indianz). And the briefs are here.

Challenge to Cowlitz Casino Dismissed

As Indianz reported, the City of Vancouver’s challenge to the proposed Cowlitz casino, City of Vancouver v. Hogen, has been dismissed on Article III standing grounds in the Western District of Washington. The court likened the City’s injury in fact to a game of chance. 🙂 Here are the materials:

dct-order-vancouver-v-hogen

us-motion-to-dismiss

vancouver-motion-for-summary-judgment