Lac Du Flambeau Indians v. State of Wis.

770 F. Supp. 480, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9867, 1991 WL 132430
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Wisconsin
DecidedJune 18, 1991
Docket90-C-408-C
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 770 F. Supp. 480 (Lac Du Flambeau Indians v. State of Wis.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lac Du Flambeau Indians v. State of Wis., 770 F. Supp. 480, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9867, 1991 WL 132430 (W.D. Wis. 1991).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

CRABB, Chief Judge.

This is a civil action brought under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C. § 2701 et seq., arising out of defendants’ alleged failure to bargain in good faith with plaintiffs on the terms of a tribal-state Indian gaming compact. Defendants concede that the state has refused to bargain over certain gaming activities that it believes are not proper subjects of negotiation. They represent, however, that the state is prepared to return to negotiations once the court has determined whether the disputed activities are proper subjects for a compact.

The case is before the court on defendants’ motion for summary judgment, and their motions to strike the affidavits of Rita Keshena, Milton Rosenberg and James Landru. Jurisdiction is present. 25 U.S.C. § 2710(d)(7)(A).

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act is the product of years of legislative effort to devise a comprehensive scheme for regulating gaming activities on Indian lands. It reflects congressional concerns about the increasing reliance of Indian tribes on gaming revenues for the provision of governmental services to tribal communities and the lack of mechanisms for regulating gaming activity. The essential feature of the Act is the tribal-state compact process, the means Congress devised to balance the states’ interest in regulating high stakes gambling within their borders and the Indians’ resistance to state intrusions on their sovereignty. The structure of the Act conforms to the basic principle that the states and tribes negotiate as sovereigns. See S.Rep. No. 100-446, 100th Cong., 2d Sess. at 13:

After lengthy hearings, negotiations and discussions, the Committee concluded that the use of compacts between tribes and states is the best mechanism to assure that the interests of both sovereign *482 entities are met with respect to the regulation of complex gaming enterprises such as pari-mutuel horse and dog racing, casino gaming, jai alai and so forth. The Committee notes the strong concerns of states that state laws and regulations relating to sophisticated forms of class III gaming be respected on Indian lands where, with few exceptions, such laws and regulations do not now apply. The Committee balanced these concerns against the strong tribal opposition to any imposition of State jurisdiction over activities on Indian lands. The Committee concluded that the compact process is a viable mechanism for setting [sic] various matters between two equal sovereigns.

The Act divides gaming activities into three classes. Class I includes social games played solely for prizes of minimal value and traditional forms of Indian gaming engaged in as part of a tribal celebration or ceremony. 25 U.S.C. § 2703(6). These activities are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the tribe. § 2710(a)(1). Class II games include bingo and related games and non-banking card games, as well as certain “grandfathered” card games that were operated by Indian tribes in four named states before May 1, 1988. Section 2703(7). Specifically excepted from Class II are non-grandfathered banking games such as baccarat, chemin de fer or blackjack, and video games of chance and slot machines. Class II gaming is within the jurisdiction of the tribes, subject to the requirements of the Act, with some oversight by the National Indian Gaming Commission. Section 2710(a)(2).

Class III includes all other forms of gaming. 25 U.S.C. § 2703(8). Class III gaming activities are lawful on Indian lands only if the activities are (1) authorized by an ordinance or resolution adopted by the governing body of the tribe that meets the requirements of the statute and is approved by the commission chairman; (2) located in a state that permits such gaming for any purpose by any person, organization or entity; and (3) conducted in conformance with a tribal-state compact entered into by the tribe and the state. Section 2710(d).

The parties dispute whether the state is required to include casino games, video games and slot machines in its negotiations with the tribes. 1 I conclude that it is required to negotiate those activities because they are permitted under Wisconsin law within the meaning of 25 U.S.C. § 2710(d)(1)(B). Accordingly, I will deny defendants’ motion for summary judgment.

For the purpose only of deciding defendants’ motion for summary judgment, I find that there is no genuine issue with respect to any of the following material facts set forth under the heading “Facts.” In making these findings, I have not taken into consideration any of the averments included in the affidavits of Rita Keshena, Milton Rosenberg or James Landru, because those averments relate to the manner in which the state has negotiated with the tribes or to the state negotiators’ understanding of the scope of the negotiations for a tribal-state compact and have no bearing on the issue raised on the motion for partial summary judgment, which is whether the gaming activities at issue are lawful under 25 U.S.C. § 2710(d). It is irrelevant whether the state bargained in good faith because it concedes it has not bargained on the disputed activities and is prepared to conclude a compact once it has been determined which activities must be included in the negotiations. It is irrelevant also what the negotiators thought the statute requires; the requirements of the statute raise an issue of law and not of fact.

FACTS

Plaintiffs Lac du Flambeau Tribe of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and Sokaogon Chippewa Community are federally-acknowledged Indian tribes with reserva *483 tions in the State of Wisconsin. Defendant State of Wisconsin is a sovereign state of the United States. Defendant Tommy G. Thompson is Governor of the State of Wisconsin. Defendant David Penn is the District Attorney for Vilas County, Wisconsin. At all times relevant to this suit, defendant Donald J. Hanaway was the Attorney General of the State of Wisconsin, and defendant Janet Marvin was the District Attorney for Forest County, Wisconsin.

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C. § 2701 et seq., became effective October 17, 1988. On November 16, 1988, plaintiff Lac du Flambeau submitted a written request for tribal-state compact negotiations. Although plaintiff Sokaogon never submitted a written request, it was a party to the various efforts at negotiation that were carried out with the plaintiff tribes as well as with other Wisconsin tribes.

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Bluebook (online)
770 F. Supp. 480, 1991 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9867, 1991 WL 132430, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lac-du-flambeau-indians-v-state-of-wis-wiwd-1991.