Seminole Tribe still has 'Plan B' for Class III

Monday, September 24, 2007

The Seminole Tribe is still negotiating a Class III compact with the state of Florida but if talks fail, there is always "Plan B."

That's the tribe's lawsuit against the federal government. It seeks an order to force the Interior Department to issue Class III "secretarial procedures" for the tribe.

Secretary Dirk Kempthorne has said he will do just that if the tribe and the state can't come to an agreement. That would mean the tribe could offer slot machines without sharing any revenues with the state.

A separate lawsuit in Texas, however, has called into question the legality of the secretarial procedures. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said a state has to be found in bad faith before Interior can't issue Class III rules.

Get the Story:
Seminoles keep gaming suit alive (The Miami Herald 9/24)