| Tribe renews push to force casino into Charlestown |
In November 2006, voters defeated the Narragansett Tribe's casino proposal by a margin of over 2 to 1. The tribe's campaign themes had been "Let the voters decide", and let's decide "once and for all". But as soon as the voters resoundingly voted no on casinos, the Tribe renewed their efforts to force a casino into Charlestown without voter approval. Almost immediately after the failed referendum, the Tribe began to lobby the Rhode Island Congressional delegation to repeal or alter the so called Chafee amendment to the Rhode Island Indian Claims Settlement Act. The Settlement Act puts the Tribe's land in Charlestown under the State Constitution and State law, thus giving the citizens of Charlestown the same rights as other citizens of Rhode Island, the right to hold binding referendums on the establishment of gambling facilities and the right to say no. So far the Rhode Island Congressional delegation has held firm in their support of the Settlement Act. The Tribe is also pursuing Federal Trust status for 31 acres they purchased in the 1990's for housing. Trust status would allow them to remove the land from local and state law and would pave the way for a casino. That effort is being challenged with an appeal by the Town and State to the U.S. Supreme Court. Even if the Tribe wins that court case they will have to get CRMC approval for construction of a casino in the watershed of the coastal ponds. CRMC has the jurisdiction of federal law, so the Tribe may be stuck there too and will likely continue to lobby to amend the Settlement Act. Below are articles about the Tribe's efforts since the 2006 election to amend or repeal the Settlement Act. Date: March 1, 2008 Date: February 28, 2008 Date: January 24, 2008 Date: January 8, 2008 Date: July 11, 2007 Date: May 31, 2007 Date: May 11, 2007 Date: May 10, 2007 Date: February 22, 2007 Date: February 15, 2007 Date: December 21, 2006 Date: December 13, 2006 |