The state of Washington has been asked to intervene in a lawsuit that seeks to stop the Cowlitz Tribe from building a casino.
Clark County filed the lawsuit in March. The county says theBureau 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 hasn't decided whether to join the case. Get the Story: