Where to Gamble
House Committee Approved Casino in Columbia River Gorge
The House Resources Committee, which includes U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore, on Wednesday, approved a bill by committee Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif, aimed at halting further development of off-reservation gambling.
Legislation that would block Indian tribes from building casinos off their reservations contains a grandfather clause that could help the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs push their proposal for a casino in the Columbia River Gorge.
The bill would eliminate an exception to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act that allows tribes to build off-reservation with the approval of the Interior secretary and the state's governor.
The tribe has proposed building a casino on industrial land in Cascade Locks, just east of Portland in the gorge, rather than on reservation land in the remote high desert of Central Oregon.
A spokeswoman for US Rep. David Wu, D-Ore, who has opposed the casino, said Wu is confident the Interior Department will carefully weight the environmental concerns of critics who say a casino should not be built in that area of the gorge, which is part of a national scenic area.
A spokesman for Walden, who voted for the bill, said the Oregon Republican had no comment on the committee vote, but Walden has said the Cascade Locks casino would benefit the state and the tribe economically.
The proposed new law is opposed by the National Indian Gaming Association, which says any problems with off-reservation gambling can be solved by regulation because it is very limited.
Gov. Ted Kulongski supports the Cascade Locks casino.