State won't intervene in lawsuit against Cowlitz Tribe's casino

Thursday, September 8, 2011  

The state of Washington won't intervene in a lawsuit that seeks to stop the Cowlitz Tribe from building a casino.

Clark County filed the lawsuit in January. The county says the Bureau of Indian Affairs cannot place land in trust for the tribe as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Carcieri v. Salazar.

The tribe gained federal recognition in 2000. But Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk determined that the Cowlitz were under "federal jurisdiction" in 1934 -- a key issue in the Supreme Court ruling.

The state attorney general's office discussed the case with the county's lawyers but declined to participate after consulting with the governor.

Get the Story:
AG rejects county’s request to intervene in casino lawsuit (The Columbian 9/8)

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