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.

B I N G O:

Day of reckoning looms over bingo


3/26/2008, San Diego Union Tribune
SACRAMENTO - In a dispute that has been quietly simmering for months, Indian casinos and charities are about to square off over the future of electronic bingo in California. Charities and nonprofit organizations have been operating hundreds of legally questionable electronic bingo machines in Sacramento County, and reportedly in locations scattered across the state, for at least several years. But a day of reckoning appears to be close. The wealthy United Auburn band of suburban Sacramento has put the Schwarzenegger administration on notice that it believes the bingo machines violate a clause in its gambling agreement that guaranteed a monopoly on electronic gaming devices. Such a breach would permit the tribe to suspend the $33 million it pays annually to the state.

MANAGEMENT OF CASINO GROWTH:

Council continues angry split over gaming expansion

3/26/2008, Santa Maria Times
Jim Richardson asked his fellow City Council members this week to reconsider his proposal of a resolution against future expansion of the Chumash Casino Resort, but his idea was narrowly voted down for a second time. The acrimony that surrounded the issue on Richardson's first try, at a meeting March 10, also continued.

 LITTLE AMADOR COUNTY SCORES:

Dispute over Buena Vista casino continues in court
3/25/2008, Indianz.com
A California county is moving forward with its lawsuit against the Bush administration after efforts to resolve a casino dispute failed. Officials in Amador County don't think the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians has a right to build a casino. A long-running lawsuit says the tribe's reservation doesn't qualify for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. After nearly three years of inaction, a federal judge allowed the case to advance. In a short decision last Friday, Judge Richard W. Roberts in Washington, D.C., rejected a request by the Interior Department to dismiss the lawsuit.

OFF RESERVATION - MANZANITA:
 
Tribe, county talk casino money
3/25/2008, Imperial Valley Press
Imperial County could receive nearly $400,000 a year from a casino in Calexico should the project come to fruition. During a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, supervisors agreed that a memorandum of understanding would need to be in place between the county and the city of Calexico if the casino proposed by the Manzanita Band of Kumeyaay Nation Indians is built. A revenue-sharing agreement between Calexico and the Manzanitas would pay the city $2 million a year. Supervisors discussed an MOU that would designate $372,000 to Imperial County, $600,000 to the Calexico Unified School District, $184,000 to Imperial Valley College and $844,000 to Calexico annually.

WHAT INCIDENTS? :
 
Pechanga casino closes Eagles Nest, Silk nightclubs; cites alcohol problems
3/25/2008, The Press-Enterprise
The Pechanga Resort & Casino has closed two nightclubs because of alcohol-related problems.The Eagle's Nest and the Silk club, a popular attraction that featured go-go dancers, were shut down last week because of unspecified alcohol issues. "Tribal leaders have determined that an unacceptable number of incidents involving alcohol consumption have occurred at Pechanga Resort & Casino," said Amy Minniear, president of the Pechanga Development Corp., in a statement. "We are deeply troubled by these incidents and are taking numerous and decisive actions to prevent them from occurring in the future."

 
INTERNET POKER -ONLINE GAMBLING:

Online Poker; Are You Addicted!?3/25/2008, Online Poker News
Online poker is currently in a state of intense scrutiny and scepticism, with stories of security issues, cheating scandals and fraud all being staple parts of the current climate. Another major concern that often goes hand in hand with online poker has once again been brought to the table, that of online addiction. This time not so much the subject of 'gambling addiction' alone but actually of an addiction to being online for long periods of time.

FBI, Tech police offer tips to prevent identity theft
3/25/2008, Internet Poker News
Cody Patton, a senior publications major from Midland, said he was affected by identity theft. "I regularly played Internet poker, and to get into the site, you have to pay a deposit," Patton said. "Paying the deposit is the easiest access to get into the site."Patton said someone obtained his account number from the site and charged $1,000 to a furniture store, but Wells Fargo helped take care of the fraudulent charges. Patton now warns against gaming on poker Web sites. "It is easier than ever to steal identities or credit cards," he said, "so watch out."

TRIBAL COURT- FUTURE CONCERNS FOR CALIFORNIA:

Bush brief backs tribal court jurisdiction
3/24/2008, Indianz.com
The Bush administration is standing up for tribal court jurisdiction in a U.S. Supreme Court case that is drawing a high level of attention. In a brief filed last week, the Department of Justice heralded tribal courts as playing a "vital role" in tribal self-governance. Citing long-standing federal policy and acts of Congress, government attorneys urged the high court to respect the decisions of tribal judicial systems.


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Upcoming Hearings

Public Meeting: Expansion of facility - Draft Environmental Impact Report will be presented by United Auburn Indian Community.  Tribe is required by law to hold a public hearing on the proposed expansion. 2 p.m. March 26, 2008 at Mc Bean Park Pavillion, 65 McBean Park Drive, Lincoln, CA. Comment will be recieved through April 10, 2008.

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

Public Scoping Hearing: Off Reservation Proposal - April 9, 2008, 6 p.m., Elks Lodge in Marysville, 920 D. Street.  The hearing is for public input related to the enterpise Rancheria proposed fee to trust land acquistion of 40 acres and the subsequent development of an off reservation casino resort complex in Yuba County.

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.

AB 62 - Sen. Florez - Permits the transfer of funds from the General Fund to the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund for eligible recipient tribes should there be insufficient funds in the Special Distribution Fund.

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 1328 - Sen.  Cedillo - deletes the $250 limitation on bingo game payouts, thereby allows for an award of any denomination. (currently limit $250.00 per pot)
SB - 1570 - Sen. Vincent - Requires the Governor to use best efforts to enusre that satellite wagering on horese racing is one of the forms of gaming offered at any gambling facility authorized under a compact.  
SB 1626 - Sen. Steinberg - Regulates the game of BINGO.
SB 1679 - Sen. Florez - Lottery Reform Bill:  requires that not less than 87% of revenues be used for prizes and to benefit education, 13% for lottery expenses. Total revenue to education will be decided by the Commission but not less than 1,200,000,000. Requires 1 million to be committed to the Office of Problem and Pathological gambling. Defines, expands and loosens restrictions of lottery game themes.

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 

H.R. 5608 Congressman Rahall - mandates that adminstration directly consults with tribes on policies that directly affect their lives.
 
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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

 
Proposed Rule - Secretarily Approval of Compacts within 45 Days
Feb. 11, 2008, Asst. Secretary - Carl Artman - Dept. of the Inter