News fromStand Up for California

Stand Up for California! is a statewide organization with a focus on gambling issues including tribal gaming, card clubs, horse racing, charitable gaming and the state lottery.

Senator Dean Florez Statement on Off Reservation Casino:

Highway 99 Indian casino controversy gets a hearing
3/14/2008, Blog - Fresno Bee
Here's Florez's statement: Mr. Chair. I'm Sen. Dean Florez. I represent the 16th Senate District, which covers a wide area of the Central Valley -- from Bakersfield in the south to Fresno in the northern part of my district. I am also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization, which is the Senate policy committee with jurisdiction on issues of gaming. This includes Indian Gaming Compacts. Let me start by saying that I have great concerns about any tribe's efforts to take land into trust that is not reasonably situated to their existing tribal lands. I understand that there are some situations which merit special consideration.

Tribe encouraged by hearing
3/14/2008, Madera Tribune
North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians came away from Wednesday night's hearing about the casino and resort planned for a site on state Route 99 and Avenue 17 with renewed confidence for the future of the plans.

Ramshackle Duros settlement poses problems not easy to solve for Riverside County or federal court
3/16/2008, The Press-Enterprise
Maria López is tired of living in a place with dirty tap water and telephone service that goes out every time the wind blows too hard. Daniel Canchola worries about his kids' health from sewage pouring out of a plastic pipe onto the dirt under and around his trailer. Francisco Zamora wonders whether ash from frequent fires at a nearby dump with toxic materials may have contaminated the ground he and his children walk on every day.

Upcoming Hearing

Public Scoping Hearing:Off Reservation Proposal - Manzanita Band in the City of Calexico. March 27, BOS Chambers Imperical County, 940 W. Main St., El Centro. 6pm to 9pm. Or mail comments to Amy Dutschke, acting Regional Director, Pacific Regional Office, BIA, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA. 92825

Upcoming Conference

North American Regulators Association June 10-13, 2008 www.nagra.org Register on Line.

LINKS and Legislation

Stand Up For California - Library

Stand Up For California - Helpful Links

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State Legislation to Watch

AJR 39 - Assembly Member Huffman

Reaffirmation of the Winneman Wintu.

AB 1314 -Assembly Member Strikland

BINGOAn Act to amend section 326.5 of the California Penal Code.

AB 1328 - Assembly Member Cedillo

Internet BINGO

AB 1924 - Assembly Member Jeffries

Changes the amount of charitable BINGO funds that may be used for overhead and other operational expenses.

AB 2026 - Assembly Member Levine -

The California Gambling Control in conjunction with the Department of Justice, shall perform a study and report its findings to the legislature by june 30, 2009, regarding authorizing interstate Internet Poker.

SB 331 -Sen. Romero - Imposes a state mandated local program to address tresspassers on tribal lands

SB 996 Sen. Florez - This bill would require each tribal state gaming compact entered into between the State of California and a federally recognized Indian Tribe to be ratified by the Legislature in Separate Statute.

SB 1201 - Sen. Battin Increases the aggregate limit of gaming devices licenses available for issuance under the 1999 compacts to 122,000 slot machines without tribal state compact renegotiations.

SB 1695 - Sen. Florez - This bill limits the locations of tribal casinos. Does it limit the political power of local elected?

SCA 20 -Sen. Vincent - Constitutional Amendment authorizes Roulette and Craps on California Indian lands for compact tribes.

Federal Legislation to Watch

Last sessions legislation rumored to have legs.

H. R. 3709To authorize inter-tribal transfers of authority in leases between the Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay and the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay, and for other purposes. (Introduced in House October 1, 2007)

S. 1347 - Sentaor Feinstein: A bill to amend the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act to modify the

date as of which certain tribal land of the Lytton Rancheria of California is deemed to be held in trust and to provide for the conduct of certain activities on the land. Passed the Senate 11-6-07 and sent to the House.

Rule Making

http://thomas.loc.gov/

Guidance on taking off reservation land into trust for gaming purposes
Jan 3, 2008, Carl Artman, Asst. Secretary of the Interior, BIA

http://www.standupca.org/Reports/E7-20776.pdf