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JUNE 15, 2000

Tribal leaders in New Mexico are optimistic and ready to fight the lawsuit filed against them by state Attorney General Patricia Madrid on Tuesday. The lawsuit seeks payments required by 1997 gaming compacts sign with the state.

The tribes, supported by the Department of the Interior, have long contended the 16 percent revenue sharing rate is illegal.

At a news conference held on Wednesday, Pojoaque Pueblo Governor Jacob Viarrial said "If we can get a justice that will be fair, I think we have a good chance of winning."

Viarrial is an outspoken Pueblo leader who has been waiting for the suit to be filed. He has been critical of the current compact as well as the compact negotiation process.

In a letter written to the legislators in January, Viarrial said the current compact damages the tribe's ability to grow. In February, he withdrew from negotiations, seeking to come to an agreement with the state on his own terms.

Yesterday he was supported by his Lieutenant Governor, George Rivera. "We will contest [the lawsuit] all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to."

On Wednesday, Representative Max Coll told The Santa Fe New Mexican, that "gambling should be shut down totally. They're not living up to their side of the bargain."

Related Stories:
State sues tribes (Tribal Law 6/14)
Tribes prepare for fight (Money Matters 6/1)

Get the Lawsuit:
State of New Mexico v. Jicarilla Apache Tribe, et al.