By AP
Tahlequah, OK – Oklahoma AG wants federal ruling on tribal casino
(Information in the following story is from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com)
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) Attorney General Scott Pruitt is asking the National Indian Gaming Commission why it's taken so long to rule on an issue regarding a casino operated by the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians.
The Tulsa World reports Pruitt sent a letter to the agency earlier this month, noting it's been more than five years since a federal judge ruled the commission should issue a final decision on whether the Tahlequah casino sits on Indian land.
The state argues the tribe doesn't meet the requirements to operate a casino. Unlike other Oklahoma tribes, the UKB doesn't have a compact with the state to operate the casino.
The tribe's attorney general, Kennis Bellmard, says the tribe has been trying to reach a compact with the state for years and Pruitt is misinformed