Last Chance For Casino Opposition In Michigan Is Supreme Court

A casino proposal for the Gun Lake Casino in Allegan County's Wayland Township has its share of opposition. Groups that oppose the casino will take one last shot at stopping the project.

The United States Supreme Court will be asked to hear a challenge by the opposition group. The group is clinging to a Depression-era law that was written to better the lives of American Indians.

The group, Michigan Gambling Opposition, which is represented by Grand rapids Attorney, John Bursch, is hopeful, but it is not likely, according to the casino's developers, that they will win their challenge. The developers are moving ahead with plans, regardless of the challenge.

Should the challenge be successful, it could have major implications on how land is secured by American Indian tribes. The opposition group is contesting the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to acquire tribal land.

"We have a very important constitutional issue because this is a statute that allows the federal government agency to take away land from sovereign states," said Bursch, to the Grand Rapids Press.

The group lost an appeal on Tuesday, and now the Supreme Court challenge is the last option to try and stop the casino from being built.

May 3, 2008
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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