Opponents Sue To Halt Rohnert Park Casino Project
ROHNERT PARK (CBS/AP) -- Some Sonoma County residents are taking legal action to block the construction of a major Indian casino just outside Rohnert Park.
The group Stop the Casino 101 filed the lawsuit last month to halt the casino project proposed by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.
The state Legislature this month ratified an agreement that allows the tribe to begin work on the 3,000-slot machine casino. The U.S. Interior Department has until July 6 to approve it, reject it or allow it to take effect.
The plaintiffs are challenging the sovereign status of the 254-acre property the tribe bought to build the casino.
Tribal attorneys say the courts have already rejected those arguments, while legal experts say the lawsuit could delay the project but is unlikely to stop it.
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