Ninth Circuit rules for Spokane Tribe

AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Let the expansion continue as planned for the Spokane Tribe.

Buoyed by a major ruling June 1 from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, the Spokane Tribe of Indians appear to have a clear road ahead to operate its casino in Airway Heights which is now constructing a significant addition to its facility.

The decision affirmed a Washington federal judge’s ruling that the U.S. Department of the Interior properly approved a Spokane Tribe casino under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). It rejected the Kalispel Tribe’s claims that the agency’s approval breached...