"The battle is hot and heavy over whether southern New Mexico needs another Indian casino. Jemez Pueblo has been trying for years to get clearance to open a casino near Anthony 300 miles to the south.

The U.S. Department of the Interior is considering the application. Many good arguments, pro and con, have been advanced over the past several months.

The Jemez application was set aside by the Bush administration several years ago because the proposed casino was not within commuting distance of the pueblo.

That requirement was not part of the federal law authorizing Indian gaming. It was a policy decision termed a "guidance memo" issued by the administration of former President George W. Bush.

Early in the administration of President Barack Obama, the Department of the Interior indicated it would be willing to review the rejection of applications by the Bush administration that were based on distance.

In late June, the guidance memo was rescinded. Up until that time, both sides, assuming the memo would be rejected, made arguments to the Department of the Interior for and against approval of the casino."

Get the Story:
JAY MILLER: Another casino for southern New Mexico? (The Alamogordo Daily News 7/6)

Also Today:
Anthony Casino Could Be Bad Bet For NMSU (The Las Cruces Sun-News 7/6)

Related Stories:
Opinion: Jemez Pueblo off-reservation casino is far from reality (7/1)
Jemez Pueblo optimistic for off-reservation gaming proposal (6/22)
Jemez Pueblo benefits from change in off-reservation gaming (6/16)
Fellow tribes against Jemez Pueblo off-reservation casino (6/13)