Gaming briefs for September 3, 2004

Friday, Sept. 3, 2004 | 10:39 a.m.

Judge affirms tribe's standing

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A federal court ruling will enable an Oklahoma tribe to move forward in its pursuit of opening gambling enterprises in New York state.

U.S. District Judge Neal McCurn on Wednesday reaffirmed the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma's standing as "successor in interest" to the historic Cayuga Indian Nation.

McCurn, however, again delayed a ruling on whether the tribe can build a $25 million high-stakes electronic bingo hall in upstate New York's Finger Lakes region.

Tribe attorney Glenn Feldman called McCurn's decision to uphold the tribe's standing "the most important issue of the case," adding that without the designation efforts to open gambling enterprises in Aurelius or elsewhere could not proceed.

Navajos remove ballot question

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. -- A referendum on whether to allow gambling on the Navajo reservation has been removed from the Navajo Nation's November election ballot.

The Navajo Nation Council voted 61-8 to remove the referendum because the tribe already has approved casinos at six Navajo communities.

The council in July approved limited gambling on the reservation, which encompasses parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr. allowed the measure to take effect.

Council Speaker Lawrence Morgan sponsored the measure to cancel the referendum, which would have asked Navajo voters whether tribal law should be changed to allow casinos. Morgan proposed scrapping the question to avoid a legal battle if voters were to say no after the law already had been changed.

Lawmaker quits House to join gaming board

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A state representative appointed to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board resigned from his legislative seat on Thursday as a requirement of his new position.

Rep. Jeffrey W. Coy, 52, D-Cumberland, served 11 terms on the House of Representatives. He will earn $145,000 as a member of the seven-person panel that will implement and regulate slot-machine gambling.

Coy, who sent a letter to House Speaker John Perzel, R-Philadelphia, on Thursday announcing his resignation, said he did not believe a special election will be held to fill the seat because the November election is just two months away.

Senate Republicans have said Coy's appointment violates a provision in the state constitution that prevents lawmakers from accepting state jobs before their terms expire.

Tribe reaches pact with union

The Tribal Council of the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation in Connecticut has entered into a card check neutrality agreement with UNITE HERE, the nation's largest union representing casino workers.

In a controversial decision, Eastern Pequot tribe was recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2002. The tribe doesn't yet have a casino. The tribe would be the first in Connecticut to sign such an agreement with the union, which operates as the Culinary Union in Las Vegas.

The state is home to the nation's two largest casinos, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. Both are nonunion. If the casino is built, the agreement would prevent casino owners from thwarting any efforts employees might make to unionize at the casino and would allow the union to proceed by gathering signatures from employees who wish to belong to the union.

"The union's commitment to its diverse workforce and their free choice mirrors our tribe's determination to help its members become self-sufficient and successful, while at the same time contributing to the state and our communities," Tribal Council Chairwoman Marcia Jones Flowers said.