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OCTOBER 9, 2000

In an editorial published in The New London Day, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says the Second Circuit Court of Appeals was wrong to rule against his lawsuit.

The state attempted to argue that the 1983 Mashantucket Pequot Settlement Act forever defined the borders of the tribe's reservation. But the court disagreed and said the Department of Interior is not prohibited from taking land into trust for the tribe by the act.

In his editorial, Blumenthal says the decision conflicts with "fairness and plain common sense." He says the decision enables "limitless" expansion of the tribe's reservation, however, there is no case of any federally recognized tribe in the country being able to expand their land base without checks and balances from the Interior.

Blumenthal says taking land into trust removes the land from "important" state and local control. The tribe is subject to criminal and civil adjuicatory jurisdiction but not regulatory.

Blumenthal also says taking land into trust can result in the loss of "significant" revenues to the state and local communities. The tribe is the largest business taxpayer in the town of North Stonington and has contributed $1,136,419,110 so far to the state since 1993, as required by its gaming compact.

Blumenthal says he will "vigoriously challenge" the decision.

Get the Ruling:
Connecticut v. Babbitt (Second Circuit Court of Appeals. No. 99-6042. September 2000)

Get the Story:
Blumenthal: 'The Court's Dead Wrong' (The New London Day 10/8)

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Pequot tribe tries to assuage fears (Tribal Law 9/28)
Anti-Pequot towns: No one's helping us (Tribal Law 9/28)
Does a Pequot empire await? (Tribal Law 9/27)
Tribe wants to add more land (Tribal Law 9/27)
Towns want 'sloppy' legislation fixed (Tribal Law 9/27)
Residents want tribe to pay taxes (Tribal Law 9/27)
Court rules against anti-Pequot towns (Tribal Law 9/26)
Towns optimistic about Pequot suit (Tribal Law 06/15)