People Against a Casino Town
News from PACT
PACT files next lawsuit in process to stop casino
 
NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 9, 2004

PACT FILES NEXT LAWSUIT
IN PROCESS TO STOP CASINO

TO:    NEWS DESK

FROM:    People Against a Casino Town (PACT)

RE:    PACT Files Next Lawsuit in Process to Stop Casino

DATE:    Tuesday, March 9, 2004

NEWS RELEASE:

Florence, Oregon - People Against a Casino Town (PACT), the grass-roots organization opposing the casino in Florence, has filed yet another lawsuit in Lane County Circuit Court in their effort to stop a casino in the small coastal community.  The lawsuit was filed Tuesday afternoon.  This time, the lawsuit  names both Governor Kulongoski and the tribe which is trying to construct a  casino within 300 feet of a Florence neighborhood.

This lawsuit is just one in a series, according to PACT representatives, and is aimed at what the group believes is Governor Kulongoski's violation of the Oregon Constitution.

"We're asking:  Does the governor's gambling compact with the Florence casino tribe violate the State Constitution's explicit casino prohibition?" said PACT spokesperson Arnold Buchman.  Describing the group's frustration with what they perceive as legal stalling tactics by the governor to avoid the question,  Buchman said, "We could already have had the answer to that question, if not for the governor's trying to financially bleed us dry with procedural roadblocks that keep the court from addressing the merits of the case."  Pragmatically,  Buchman said, "But there are only so many of these pettifogging obstacles the governor can put up. Each time he uses one up, we are that much closer to getting an answer from the court - an answer that this governor and his gambling-interest supporters obviously don't want the public to hear."

PACT will be holding a public meeting on March 16 at 7:00 pm at the Florence Events Center to provide more information about the lawsuit and PACT's activities.

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Constitution of Oregon, Article XV, Section 4(12): "The Legislative Assembly has no power to authorize, and shall
prohibit, casinos from operation in the State of Oregon."

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