Gambling Prohibited Before Committee Approves Lumbee Recognition Act

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Gambling Prohibited Before Committee Approves Lumbee Recognition Act

Special Report - April 26, 2007
A bill to grant full federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina passed the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources on Tuesday, April 24, but only after the Committee adopted an amendment to prohibit the Tribe from conducting gambling activities. The amendment to H.R. 65—Lumbee Recognition Act was offered by Congressman John Duncan (R-TN) and added the following language to the bill: “The Tribe may not conduct gaming activities as a matter of claimed inherent authority or under the authority of any Federal law, including the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) or under any regulations thereunder promulgated by the Secretary or the National Indian Gaming Commission.”

The North Carolina Family Policy Council submitted a letter to the entire North Carolina Congressional delegation—which was entered into the committee record—asking if the bill moved forward that it be amended to prohibit the Lumbee Tribe from pursuing gambling operations. Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC), who testified before the committee on April 18, read the following portion of the NCFPC letter into the committee record:

“I am writing to express our concern over H.R. 65—Lumbee Recognition Act. The North Carolina Family Policy Council does not oppose full federal recognition for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, but we strongly oppose the potential that full federal recognition would have toward the expansion of gambling in North Carolina. In its current form, H.R. 65 could set the stage to allow the Lumbee Indians to establish gambling operations along the I-95 corridor in Robeson, and perhaps Cumberland, Hoke, and Scotland counties. As a result, we ask that you amend H.R. 65 to expressly prohibit the Lumbee Tribe from obtaining the authorization to conduct any form of gambling in North Carolina should this legislation move forward.”

The bill passed by a 24-7 vote and now proceeds to the full House for consideration. Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) has introduced a similar bill in the U.S. Senate.

To download a copy of the NCFPC’s letter to Congressman McIntyre about H.R. 65, click here.

To read more about the impact that expanded Indian gambling will have on the state, download our paper "Lumbee Casino Gambling: Would Another Casino Be Good for North Carolina?"