In Kings Mountain, Cleveland County, North Carolina, faith leaders are finding it difficult to accept a gambling facility in their hometown, namely the temporary Catawba Two Kings Casino that opened July 1. Nearly one dozen of them recently signed a letter to U.S. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, who represents North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, asking her to oppose House Bill 1619, the Catawba Indian Nation Lands Act. The legislation would “reaffirm the action taken by the Secretary of the Interior on July 10, 2020, to place approximately 17 acres of land located in Cleveland County, North Carolina, into trust on behalf of the Catawba Indian Tribe for the purpose of conducting Indian gaming subject to the provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.”
The religious leaders said the casino will cause “irreparable damage to both our county and the nation. We as ministers, we have a great moral problem with the casino because they are designed to prey on the weakest in our societies. We believe it does damage to families and the social fabric of the county. We want to highlight our moral opposition to it.”
Lattimore Mayor Alton Beal said he doesn’t believe the casino has gained support from public officials in the area, adding no Cleveland County representatives support the bill. “Very few, if any, public officials have gone on record supporting House Bill 1619 publicly. That does not mean they have not done it privately. This bill is designed to shortcut the legal process that has been initiated by the Cherokees to contest it.”
Beal said Foxx’s office told him she would consider the points raised in the religious leaders’ letter. However, she later issued a statement: “Hearing from faith leaders in Cleveland County is of the utmost importance to me, and I appreciate their continued advocacy efforts within the 5th District. The fact of the matter is that these individual casino projects have fallen under the purview of state and local officials as well as the Department of the Interior. Congress does not weigh in on individual casino projects.” She added, “The bill would simply codify what is already the de facto determination by the Department of the Interior to take land into trust for the benefit of the Catawba Indian Nation, a determination that has so far been supported by the necessary state and local officials.”
