Newly elected members of the city council in La Center, Washington, want to discuss gaming with the Cowlitz Tribe.
In the past, the city council opposed the tribe's land-into-trust application for a casino. But with three new members on the council, there are enough votes to enter into talks with the tribe. The Bureau of Indian Affairs issued a final environmental impact statement in favor of the application. But the Bush administration failed to make a decision before the U.S. Supreme Court decided Carcieri v. Salazar. The application is on hold as a result of the decision. The tribe didn't gain formal federal recognition in 2000, long past the 1934 cut-off date in the ruling. Cowlitz Chairman Bill Iyall testified at last week's House Natural Resources Committee hearing in favor of a land-into-trust fix. Get the Story: