Casino Stalker

New Mexico candidates hesitant on Pueblo off-reservation casino

Friday, July 30, 2010

New Mexico's two gubernatorial candidates haven't taken a position on an off-reservation casino for Jemez Pueblo.

If elected, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish (D) said she would wait until the Interior Department moves forward with its review of the project. "I recognize there is strong local support for it, but there are still many federal actions that would need to take place before any state decision on the issue would occur," Denish told The Santa Fe New Mexican in a statement.

Susana Martinez (R) also said she would wait. "At this point, we must see if the federal government will act in a timely fashion on deciding whether to approve the application for the area," her campaign said in a statement.

The tribe is pursuing the casino under the two-part determination section of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The process requires approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as well as concurrence by the state governor.

In the history of IGRA, only three tribes have opened casinos under the two-part determination process. a

Get the Story:
Governor candidates hesitant about casino (The Santa Fe New Mexican 7/29)

Relevant Documents:
Secretary Salazar Memo on Gaming Land Applications | Press Release: Interior Details Path Forward on Indian Gaming Policy

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