Opinion ID: 623760
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: mcn’s claims on appeal

Text: Although MCN’s complaint lists six claims, two core issues permeate the complaint: the challenged laws (1) are preempted by the Indian Trader Statutes, and (2) violate MCN’s right to tribal self-government. Instead of presenting a claim-by-claim analysis in its brief, MCN presents arguments addressing only these two issues and does not tie these arguments to its individual claims. MCN even explains that it essentially has only “one claim for procedural relief—a declaratory judgment (and injunctive relief to enforce that declaration) . . . [and] that [MCN] has preserved its overall claim that [the Excise Tax Statute] and the Complementary Act are invalid and unenforceable.” Aplt. Reply Br. at 12-13. MCN’s counsel repeated this contention at oral argument. Because MCN raises only these two issues on appeal—preemption and tribal selfgovernment—we will consider only those issues. See United States v. Cooper, 654 F.3d 1104, 1128 (10th Cir. 2011) (“It is well-settled that arguments inadequately briefed in the -9- opening brief are waived.” (quotations omitted)); Bronson v. Swensen, 500 F.3d 1099, 1104 (10th Cir. 2007) (“[W]e routinely have declined to consider arguments that are not raised, or are inadequately presented, in an appellant’s opening brief.”). Although MCN argues in its reply brief that it did not abandon any of its complaint’s six claims, this assertion without accompanying argument is not sufficient to preserve issues for review.3 See Phillips v. Calhoun, 956 F.2d 949, 954 (10th Cir. 1992) (“Since Plaintiff’s disaffirmation is not, in any event, followed by any argument on the merits of the claims involved, we deem them waived under the general rule that even issues designated for review are lost if they are not actually argued in the party’s brief.”). Thus, we consider the validity of the Excise Tax Statute, the Escrow Statute, and the Complementary Act based on preemption and infringement of tribal self-governance and do not address whether these statutes violate due process, equal protection, the Supremacy and Indian Commerce Clauses, or MCN’s right to be free from discrimination.