January 14, 2025 3:40 a.m.

Oregon’s U.S. Senator Ron Wyden is critical of a federal decision regarding a proposed casino in Medford.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Interior signed a Record of Decision approving the first off-reservation casino in Oregon, which would be operated by the Coquille Tribe.

In a statement from Wyden’s office released to News Radio 93-9 FM and 1240 KQEN, the senator said, “This reckless choice by DC bureaucrat’s catapults Oregon into an uncontrolled escalation of gambling with no end in sight. And it compounds the collateral damage from this casino arms race by cavalierly tossing out our state’s time-honored agreement that balances all Tribes’ equal opportunities to achieve economic independence and prosperity”. Wyden said, “I will fight this senseless decision with all the options available, including the Congressional Review Act that empowers elected representatives to battle back against rogue federal agency decisions just like this one”.