A Florence group has been blocking casino facilities on courts for a number of years now earned a big victory before the Oregon Court of Appeals on June 11th, 2008. The latest decision or People Against a Casino Town or PACT, gives the group a go signal to move forward with a lawsuit against the state of Oregon. The organization is attempting to prove that the state Governor does not have any power to finalized gambling compacts in order for them to build casinos in tribal owned lands in Oregon.
PACT’s lawsuit against Oregon has been hanging in balance, being shuffled from different courts since it was first filed in 2003. The lawsuit names the Oregon Governor as the main respondent on the case, not the Indian Tribes or the Three Rivers Casino facility. The lead lawyer in the case, Kelly Clark commented that PACT just wanted to know why the Governor keeps on approving gaming compact to site casinos when the constitution does not allow to have one.
Back in 1994, the state and the Confederated Indian Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians have finalized a gaming compact in order to regulate gaming in tribal lands. Governor John Siuslaw, the Governor at that time, approved the gambling compacts just before he leave his post as the Governor.
Around 9 tribes in the state of Oregon have made gambling compacts with the state. PACT President Debby Todd is determined that ever to question the governor’s office about the gambling compacts. The Three Rivers Casino has operated in Florence on the tribal owned Hatch Tract for the last 3 years and recently widen their gambling operation.
Tribal Head Bob Garcia commented that the result of the lawsuit will not have any lasting effect on the overall operation of the Three Rivers casino facility, since tribal owned lands are not usually handled by normal channels. The value of the property that can be found in Florence has rise up since the Three Rivers Casino was constructed.
Garcia commented that it will be up to the Department of the Interior to decide on whether the gambling compacts were acceptable. But Todd commented that all types of gambling operation should be regulated by the state.
Published on: 30.06
