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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                       (Raleigh, North Carolina)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                      July 30, 1998
            PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES MONTIE R. DEER AS CHAIR OF
                   THE NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION

The President today announced his intent to nominate Montie R. Deer to serve as Chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Judge Montie R. Deer, of Wichita, Kansas, has been Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Kansas since 1994. He also serves as a Special Tribal District Judge for the Muscogee Nation. From 1983 to 1994, Judge Deer served as a State District Court Judge for the State of Kansas. From 1975 to 1982, he was a practicing attorney with several firms in Kansas, including Marvin R. Appling, Deer and Peters, and Michaud, Crammer, Syrios, Post & Levy. Judge Deer has also served as Director of Legal Services for the North Topeka Indian Center, Member of the Board of Directors for the Mid American All-Indian Center and Member of the Wichita Warrior Society.

Judge Deer received his B.A. from the University of Wyoming, an M.S. from Emporia State Teacher's College, and a J.D. from Washburn University School of Law.

The National Indian Gaming Commission was created to regulate all affairs relevant to gaming on Indian lands. The Commission is comprised of two Commissioners and a Chair. The Chair oversees the day-to-day operations, and has the power to issue temporary orders closing gaming activities, levying and collecting civil fines, approving regulations and classification of gaming classes and approving management contracts for Class II and III gaming.

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