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The speaker of the Florida House is asking the Federal government to shut down all seven of the Seminole Indian Casinos in Florida because the state is at an impasse with the Indians. But as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the Seminole Tribe believes the state is looking to get more than the tribe is willing to give.

In a strongly worded letter to federal officials, Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul is asking that card games at all seven Seminole Indian Casinos be shut down. The request is on tricky legal ground.

After the Governor signed a deal with the Seminoles, the agreement was later approved by the Federal government. Only later did a state court invalidate it. The tribe says what was signed remains in effect.

“It remains valid until an appropriate federal court or federal agency declares otherwise,” Seminole Tribe attorney Barry Richard said. “And that has not happened and should not happen, until the legislature decides whether or not it’s going to approve it.”

A second deal was negotiated in August, with the tribe giving the state 50 million a year more than in the original deal. The House leadership doesn’t like that second deal, because the tribe refused to give up exclusive rights to its card games.

House leaders say the negotiations over gambling are at an impasse and the tribe is quick to point out there have been no hearings held since the compact was signed, nor has any lawmaker called the tribe.

For more than a year, the Attorney General has been asking the Feds to shut the games down.

“We have had those communications with the National Indian Gaming Commission, saying you’ve got to step in; you need to shut these games down,” Sandi Copes, spokesperson for the Attorney General said. “No, [they haven’t shut them down]. The games do continue.”

And lawmakers should be careful what they wish for. Shutting the games down could put as many as 10 thousand people out of work…and they would share the blame.

A special session to take up gaming was supposed to be help in October.  It never happened and legislative leaders are being tight lipped about when or if they’ll take up the issue.