Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida
United States Supreme Court
517 U.S. 44 (1996)
Relevant factsFree
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) required states to negotiate in good faith with tribes over gaming compacts and authorized tribes to sue states in federal court to compel that negotiation; the Seminole Tribe of Florida (plaintiff) sued Florida and its governor (defendants) for refusing to negotiate at all, and Florida moved to dismiss on sovereign immunity grounds. The district court denied dismissal, the Eleventh Circuit reversed, and the Seminole Tribe appealed to the Supreme Court.
IssueFree
Whether Congress may validly abrogate states' sovereign immunity through an exercise of power not derived from Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment.