An anti-sovereignty group in New York plans to file a lawsuit against state officials in order to enforce a county public smoking ban on the Oneida Nation.

Upstate Citizens for Equality will sue the Oneida County health department officials in state court, said the group's president David Vickers. He said the county has jurisdiction over the Oneida Nation's land in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision.

But Oneida Nation spokesperson Mark Emery said prior decisions have held that the state and local governments do not have authority over tribal lands.

Get the Story:
Group to seek smoking ban at Turning Stone (The Syracuse Post-Standard 5/12)

Relevant Links:
Upstate Citizens for Equality - http://www.upstate-citizens.org
Oneida Nation - http://www.oneida-nation.net

Oneida Nation Decision:
Syllabus | Opinion [Ginsburg] | Concurrence [Souter] | Dissent [Stevens]

Related Stories:
Column: Tribes just can't come and take 'our' land (5/11)
Pataki: No tribal trust lands without state approval (4/28)
New York Senate votes against trust land for tribes (4/20)
Pataki, county blast Oneida Nation's trust land bid (4/14)
Oneida Nation seeks trust land in wake of ruling (4/14)
Fallout from Supreme Court ruling on Oneida Nation (4/6)
BIA official calls high court ruling 'quite depressing' (03/31)
Major defeat for Oneida Nation in Supreme Court case (3/30)
Pataki, city, foes pleased with Oneida Nation ruling (3/30)