By JUSTIN HIGGINBOTTOM/Jefferson Public Radio
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Karuk Tribe and Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior and Biden administration officials to halt approval of the Coquille Indian Tribe’s proposed casino in Medford.
The on Dec. 23 complaint alleges a favorable final environmental impact study for the project, released last month, is unconstitutional because it relies on invalid federal regulations specified by the Council on Environmental Quality. Court documents claim the council lacks statutory authority to issue rules for other agencies.
The lawsuit also alleges Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, named as a defendant, didn’t properly consult with tribes opposed to the casino.
Tribal opponents to the Medford casino, which would be located around 150 miles from the Coquille’s reservation near Coos Bay, say it will siphon customers from their own gaming businesses around the region.
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians operates a casino in Canyonville, while the Yurok Tribe and Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation own gaming facilities in northern California.
“This is all about competition. So it’s another move by Cow Creek not to have to compete in the market,” said Judy Farm, chief executive officer of the Coquille Tribe’s economic development arm Tribal One. “They’ve had over 12 years to comment and they have taken full advantage of the 12 years of time it’s taken us to permit this project.”
The Coquille Indian Tribe is waiting on final Department of Interior approval to place their Medford property in federal trust so that it may be used for gaming. A public comment period for the proposed casino ended this week despite Oregon Gov.Tina Kotek requesting an extension from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
This is just horrible. We’re surrounded by mountains in Medford and everywhere you go, you can’t get out of here in the winter, you can barely get out of here in the spring because of the snow or fog or black ice or something else heavy rain. This is an unusual situation, and people need to realize that not everyone is addicted to gambling. Some people just want to get out during the winter, and you know what? During the winter here, it’s depressing, very depressing. Especially for people seniors, the tribe has been patient. They’ve been wonderful and it’s a little casino. It’s not big like 7 feathers. People can still go to 7 feathers in the other one in California. This is very unfair. Medford needs the casino badly. There’s hundreds and hundreds of people that want it, it will safeguard that area with 24 hour security, it’s a great idea. And people should start thinking positive, instead of thinking about greed, okay
I am in agreement with the Tribes. No casino in Medford. I worked at a casino for 6 years and experienced first hand things that most people don’t think about. One that stands out in mind were two young women were gambling and joking that as long as they have money to keep gambling with, the longer they can stay…..the kids at home can get themselves up, take care of the baby until these women either run out of money or time before the kids must get on the bus. That leaves the baby alone potentially for a while before the 2 women finally come home. I unfortunately could not call security in on this one.
The other one is 3 women together; one in a wheelchair. The 2 women ran out of their money and dipped into the purse of the lady in the wheelchair. She protested, grabbing her purse. The 2 women pried the purse from her and got what cash she had and gave her purse back. I alerted security to review footage of the section these women were in. It’s stealing from another person as well as elder abuse.
There is a plethora of things not thought of by individuals who want a casino in their town. There is a plethora of current problems in Medford that need to be addressed. That could be: Affordable housing, mental health clinics, drug addiction recovery clinics. The list can go on.
I say no to a casino in Medford. If you want to go to one there are some that aren’t that far a drive to get out of the house and a scenic drive to it while that gives you time to think about how much fun it’ll be to gamble away that extra money you had set aside for emergencies.