Former Republican Congressman Richard Pombo, the former chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, says there's "virtually no chance" of a Carcieri fix in the 112th Congress.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar limits the land-into-trust process to tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction" in 1934. Efforts to fix the decision have stalled in Congress.

"I can assure you that in conversations with my former colleagues on the Hill, there is virtually no chance of Congress passing a Carcieri fix ... in the foreseeable future," Pombo said in a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D).

The Carcieri fix has bipartisan backing as well as support from the Obama administration. But the issue is controversial due to concerns about Indian gaming.

Get the Story:
Ex-congressman suggests tribes work together (The Cape Cod Times 3/15)
Former lawmaker in California writes letter to Gov. Patrick on state's gaming bill (GateHouse News Service 3/14)

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