Oglala

A federal judge has ruled that the lawsuit filed by the Oglala Sioux Tribe against five massive beer companies (Anheuser-Busch InBev, SABMiller, Molson Coors, MillerCoors LLC, and Pabst) should be considered a state issue. Of the lawsuit, which alleges that the defendant companies knowingly contributed to devastating alcohol-related problems on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard said: "There is, in fact, little question that alcohol sold in Whiteclay contributes significantly to tragic conditions on the reservation. And it may well be that the defendants could, or should, do more to try to improve those conditions for members of the tribe. But that is not the same as saying that a federal court has jurisdiction to order them to do so." The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it can be taken by the tribe to state court.