Editorial: Governor makes tribes 'pay their bills' on gaming

Issues with New York’s tribes, including collection of taxes on cigarettes and payments on gaming contracts, have been an intractable problem for state administrations for decades.

When disputes arise, as they inevitably do, tribes have been able to stop making payments with impunity. The state can take the tribes to court, and has, but when tribal leaders refuse to follow court orders, the state has little recourse. Sending in state troopers to collect on debts is a last resort state leaders have been understandably reluctant to embrace.

With his push to legalize casino gaming, however, Cuomo has found a lever to move the tribes to pay their bills.