The Umpquas have a venue, the Seven Feathers Casino, just 45 minutes north of the Grants Pass Downs racetrack while the Grand Ronde’s Spirit Mountain Casino is the state’s largest. The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians and the Grand Ronde are leading the pushback against the Flying Lark. “Robust consultation is a critical element of the working relationship between our governments, and an obligation that all agencies, boards, and commissions must satisfy.”

“This law enshrines our shared commitment to strong government-to-government relations between the State and the nine sovereign, federally recognized Tribes that inhabit Oregon,” she said. The bill became ORS 182.162-.168, Oregon’s tribal consultation statutes. Instead, they are akin to video slot machines, in which bettors wager against the house, tribal nations say.īrown’s efforts to include tribal nations in the conversation build upon a bill she worked on two decades ago to elevate state communications with tribes to a higher level, she remarked on the letter. However, tribes are opposing this move, arguing that these machines no longer meet the statutory definition of parimutuel betting, in which bettors wager against each other, further reports WW. While the state constitution prohibits off-reservation casinos, the Flying Lark seeks to take advantage of a 2013 law, which allows commercial horse tracks to offer betting on historical horse racing machines. The governor’s office had previously been consulted as to why the Flying Lark was proceeding without regard to the objections of Oregon’s tribes, which have raised concerns as they are dependent on gambling revenue. “I write today to emphasize the importance of one of those responsibilities: the statutory obligation to meaningfully consult with Tribes on issues that may significantly impact them.”

“Thank you for your work on behalf of Oregonians to carry out the statutory responsibilities of the Oregon Racing Commission,” Brown wrote to commissioners on Tuesday, reports Willamette Week. Brown urged commissioners to “meaningfully consult” with tribal governments on an application for 225 betting terminals at the Flying Lark, a proposed destination resort from the founder of the Dutch Bros.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown has pushed the state’s Racing Commission to slow down on a considered gambling expansion in Grants Pass, Josephine County.

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