Artist's rendering of the Wilton Rancheria's resort project in Elk Grove, Caifornia. Image by Wilton Rancheria First it was an an anonymous group backed by unknown donors. Then it was a ballot petition submitted by a law firm that refused to name its client. Now a lawsuit has been filed in hopes of stopping the Wilton Rancheria from opening a casino in northern California. And, again, no one is saying who is behind the effort. “The suit speaks for itself," Cheryl Schmit of Stand Up for California told The Sacramento Bee. She refused to say who was funding the lawsuit and the law firm that filed it wouldn't say either. The tribe is planning to build a $400 million casino in Elk Grove. A land-into-trust application is under review by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The lawsuit does not target the application and neither does the ballot petition. Instead, opponents are trying to block the sale of land to the tribe for the project. The case is Stand Up California! vs. City of Elk Grove, No. 2016-80002493. It was filed in Sacramento Superior Court on November 23. Read More on the Story:
Opponents of Elk Grove casino head to court (The Sacramento Bee 12/1)
Wilton Rancheria tribal chair critical of mall developer (The Elk Grove Citizen 11/30) Federal Register Notices:
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 29, 2015)
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 4, 2013)
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