Alabama Coushatta Casino Livingston Texas

• The tribe's reservation is in Livingston, Texas. At the time of the letter, Abramoff was working for the Louisiana Coushatta and had portrayed the Alabama-Coushatta's Houston-area casino as a.
• The Alabama Coushatta Indian Tribe in Livingston, Texas about an hour north of Houston reopened its casino after a 14-year closure prompted by threats from the state of Texas to take legal action.

Since 2016, the tribe has run the Livingston-area gaming facility, which they say provides $15.3 million in annual wages and had a total economic impact of $139.6 million on East Texas in 2018. But state officials for years have been trying to shutter Naskila and the Tigua tribe’s Singing Rock casino in El Paso. The Coushatta began to live with the Alabama on their reservation. Both the peoples struggled after the Civil War, as few spoke English and they had difficulty finding jobs. They acquired more land and today their reservation is 4,593 acres large, located 17 miles east of Livingston, Texas. About half the tribe, or 500 people, live on the.

Livingston is a town in Polk County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,433 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Polk County. Livingston was settled in 1835 as Springfield. Its name was changed to Livingston and became the county seat of Polk County in 1846.
The Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation is just to the East of Livingston. The 2000 census reported a resident population of 480 persons within the reservation.
Livingston has one hospital, the Memorial Medical Center at Livingston

By Valerie Reddell
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

LIVINGSTON — A letter from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Kevin McCarthy expresses his opposition to video bingo on the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation and the passage of H.R. 759, filed by Rep. Brian Babin (R-Woodville).

That letter has local political leaders scratching their heads.

Gov. Abbott was criticized in the 2017 session of the Texas Legislature for expanding his role to “mayor in chief” for Texas, now he apparently wants to be dealt a bigger hand in Washington D.C.

Abbott cites a prohibition on gambling in Texas and mentioned that the Texas Legislature has routinely considered and rejected proposals to expand gaming on tribal lands in Texas.

“I strongly encourage Congress to reject this attempt to restrict Texas’ power to regulate activities within its borders,” Abbott said.

HR 759 removes conflicting language in federal law that state officials have used to preclude two of the three Texas tribes from enjoying the same rights under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act that other tribes in the United States have.

“This is a fairness issue – plain and simple,” Babin said Friday when asked to comment on Abbott’s letter. “Out of the three Native American tribes located in Texas, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta are not allowed the same rights as the Kickapoo when it comes to Class II gaming which only allows electronic bingo. The Kickapoo have had this right for more than 22 years.

“Naskila Gaming is alcohol free and developing the economy in Polk County and several other surrounding counties while supplying over 500 jobs to the local communities and infusing $140 million into our local economy each year. The courts urged that there needed to be a change in the law on a federal level to solve this issue, and that is precisely what I am trying to do with my bill, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas Equal and Fair Opportunity Settlement Act (H.R. 759).

“The bottom line is that shutting down this facility means putting more than 500 Texans out of a job. That’s who I’m fighting for, my constituents,” he added.
Tribal Council Chair Cecilia Flores told the Enterprise Friday that she was aware of Abbott’s efforts to block passage of the bill.

“We’re not surprised,” Flores said.

“But he does support the Texas Lottery scratch off tickets that carry the Golden Nugget logo,” she added.

The Golden Nugget Casinos and Hotels are owned by Houston-based Fertitta Entertainment. Fertitta also owns the Houston Rockets and Landry’s restaurants.
It’s a name that also shows up when you look inside Abbott’s campaign war chest.

Fertitta donated $200,000 in his own name. Frank Fertitta III, CEO of Casino Stations and Zuffa LLC, the business the runs the Ultimate Fighting Championship, donated another $100,000. The two men are reportedly third cousins.

“Is (Gov. Abbott) more concerned about Louisiana jobs or Texas families?” Flores said.

Meanwhile, HR 759 has gained another co-sponsor in the U.S. House and made other progress, Flores said after spending several days in the nation’s capital this week.
The Tribe is also fighting in the courts seeking the right to keep Naskila open and preserve the more than 350 local jobs that are tied to the facility. The Alabama-Coushatta have filed a petition to have their case heard by the entire Fifth Circuit.

“We stand ready to appeal any adverse ruling to the Supreme Court of the United States as well,” tribal leaders said in a press released.

Former Woodville Mayor Jimmie Cooley remains active in statewide politics, but she is quite disappointed by Abbott’s letter.

“I’m furious,” Cooley said. “If he can’t help us, he should just stay quiet.”

Cooley has hosted two large-scale campaign events for Abbott in the past.

“I hired a band, provided dinner, it was a big event,” Cooley said. “I don’t think I can stir my people up again.”

“I’m upset with him. (Naskila) hires people all over East Texas. I’m sure there are people from 10 counties employed there. This brings in revenue and it’s the right thing to do,” she added.

Cooley also frequently points out how many new businesses have opened between Livingston and the reservation since Naskila opened. She pegs the total at 15 new businesses or franchises.

Naskila adds $140 million to the economy of the Big Thicket region each year. In addition to the 375 direct jobs, Naskila is tied to another 200 regional jobs, according to the Texas Forest Country Partnership.

Alabama Coushatta Casino Livingston Texas Teepee Camping Texas

This is Abbott’s second effort to derail Babin’s bill, according to Cooley. But when she contacts the governor’s office in an effort to bring tribal leaders and the governor together, Abbott refuses the meeting.

“I’ve tried at least four times to bring him and the tribe together. One of the excuses was that this was a federal issue. So why did he send those letters?”

Alabama Coushatta Casino In Livingston Texas

Cooley describes the Naskila operation as a tiny baby compared to Fertitta’s giant entertainment conglomerate. She’s outraged at Fertitta’s frequent efforts to close Naskila and/or keep gambling outlawed in Texas.

“It’s tiny. There’s no alcohol, no motels. How much does he had to have? How much greed is that?” Cooley added.
Cooley also cited a recent poll showing that 75 percent of respondents were in favor of the limited gaming in an alcohol-free environment.

Alabama Coushatta Casino Livingston Texas

For more ways to support efforts to keep Naskila open, visit www.naskila.com.