By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services via Arizona Daily Star
Attorneys and officials of the Tohono O’odham Nation are throwing cold water on the deal proposed by Gov. Doug Ducey over the future of a Glendale casino, suggesting the tribe will take its chances in court than agree to what the state is offering.
In new court filings and statements, the tribe says it’s willing to consider a deal to end the latest lawsuit over its claim that the tribe is entitled to have full-scale Class III gaming at the facility.
However, Karl Tillerman, an attorney for the tribe, told U.S. District Court Judge David Campbell there really is no deal, with the state presenting the offer on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. “Although the nation is still reviewing the state’s proposal and determining how to respond, the proposal’s current terms are unlikely to be acceptable to the nation for a number of reasons,” he wrote.