Casino Stalker

New Interior Secretary could rule on Spokane Tribe's casino

Friday, March 29, 2013

Sally Jewell has yet to be confirmed as the Secretary of the Interior Department but the Spokane Tribe off-reservation casino in her home state of Washington could prove to be one of her first major tests.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs finalized the environmental impact statement for the West Plains Mixed-Use Development in February. But the agency agreed to delay a record of decision on the project, leaving the matter for Jewell.

If the casino gets approved, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) will be able to veto it under the two-part determination provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. He hasn't stated his position on the project.

In the history of IGRA, only three tribes have opened casinos under the two-part determination provisions. One of them is the Kalispel Tribe, whose leaders oppose the Spokane casino.

Get the Story:
Casino Battle: Why the Opposition to Spokane Tribe's Anti-Poverty Plan? (Indian Country Today 3/29)

Federal Register Notice:
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Spokane Tribe of Indians West Plains Casino and Mixed Use Project, City of Airway Heights, Spokane County, WA (February 1, 2013)