Mississippi Choctaws drop request for referendum on casino plan

Friday, September 17, 2010  

Three members of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians have ended their push for a referendum on a new casino.

Vickie Rangel and two other members went to tribal court to seek a referendum. The request was denied and the group says it will be futile to proceed.

"This letter is to inform you that after careful consideration we, the sponsors of the referendum petition, will not be seeking any further legal action to address this issue. We have come to the conclusion that instead of trying to resolve issues in a flawed system, it is more logical to change the system," the group told the tribal council, The Laurel Leader-Call reported.

The new casino is located on tribal land near Sandersville. That's about 80 miles away from Philadelphia, where the tribe operates two gaming facilities.

The Sandersville site is not contiguous to the main reservation but it's still considered a part of the reservation.

Get the Story:
3 MBCI members give up casino battle (The Laurel Leader-Call 9/16)