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.

Butte County reluctantly files this litigation.  The Tribe simply refused to consider any other site. The Tribe's rejections of an amicable resolution of the matter has left the County with no recourse other than this litigation.  Finally, it is emphasized that the County does not question the Tribes recognition or sovereinty. (Just the proposed location- as a matter of law and fact- does not meet the stringent criteria of restored lands)

California Lottery should repay state for party, audit says
3/27/2008, Sacramento Bee
California Lottery officials should repay $46,336 that was inappropriately spent on an employee celebration dinner last November, according to an audit released Wednesday by the State Controller's Office.

Santa Ysabel tribe hires new casino manager
3/27/2008, North County Times
NORTH COUNTY ---- The financially troubled Santa Ysabel tribe near Julian has hired an experienced gaming manager as its new chief operating officer to run its casino overlooking Lake Henshaw.Don Trimble said he started working at the casino last week and has already started to make changes aimed at improving food service and marketing.In recent months, the tribe fell behind on quarterly payments to the state and the county. Casino officials blamed the problems in part on the October wildfires, which forced the casino to close for a week, and heavy winter storms that led to road closures.

Judge won't dismiss county's case
3/26/2008, Amador County Ledger Dispatch
On March 21, federal court Judge Richard W. Roberts provided Amador County with a glimmer of hope in its nearly three-year-old attempt to block an Indian casino from coming to fruition in the Jackson Valley.

Stalking suspect chase ends in standoff at Pechanga casino in Temecula
3/26/2008, The Press-Enterprise
A man wanted on suspicion of stalking his estranged wife while out of jail on bail was arrested Wednesday at the Pechanga Resort & Casino after leading police on a high-speed pursuit from Murrieta into San Diego County and back to Temecula. Kevin Dale Powell, 48, of Murrieta, had been arrested in December on suspicion of spousal abuse and holding his wife against her will, said Murrieta police Sgt. Jim Ganley. While Powell was on bail in that case in December, he was arrested on suspicion of stalking and making criminal threats, Ganley said.

Starbucks tips case gives hope to dealers
3/26/2008, Las Vegas Sun
Serving coffee is a lot different from dealing cards. But not to casino dealers in Las Vegas, who are cheering a landmark ruling last week by a California court against a tip-sharing policy at Starbucks they hope will build public support for a similar lawsuit filed by dealers at Wynn Las Vegas. Despite the similarities between the two lawsuits, the case underscores significant differences between the legal landscape in California and Nevada, a state with nearly 30 years of case law supporting casino employers in tip disputes.

Poker Sites Citadel Echeck - US Citadel Echecks Replacement and Sites That Accept Them.
3/26/2008, Pokerecheck.com
/24-7PressRelease/ - March 26, 2008 - Poker sites are no longer using Citadel echecks as deposit options but instead have replaced them with an easier to use "Instant echeck" deposit option found at Poker Stars exclusively for all players. The other sites that use these Instant echecks are mentioned at PokerEcheck.com.

Casino assessment available now
3/26/2008, The Desert Trail
TWENTYNINE PALMS - One of the first things a visitor to www.nuwucasino.com, the Web site dedicated to the Twentynine Palms Band of Mission Indian's proposed casino, resort and RV park, is a countdown At just past 1:20 a.m. Wednesday, March 26 that countdown shows 369 days, 10 hours 39 minutes and 59 seconds until the casino's grand opening, putting that proposed opening at midnight Wednesday, April 1, 2009. The tribe has proposed building a casino with 350 slot machines and some table games as well as an RV park on 160 acres of tribal land at the southeast corner of Baseline and Adobe roads.


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Upcoming Hearings

Public Comment deadline: Expansion of facility - Draft Environmental Impact Report presented by United Auburn Indian Community.   Comments 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

archive

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