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.

Casino turf fights under scrutiny in Capitol
4/3/2008, Capitol Weekly
The struggle for turf between casino-owning Indian tribes has become a staple of Capitol politics as rival groups seek leverage in their efforts to expand operations. The stakes are huge - the gaming tribes pay $200 million annually into one special state fund alone - and the politics are intense. The latest round in the turf wars began on the final day for bill introductions, Feb. 22. The proposal, authored by the head of the Senate committee with authority over gaming, is aimed at a tribe's ability to establish casinos and place them where it wants. Although written broadly, Capitol insiders say the legislation targets a Fresno-area tribe's attempt to set up a casino off Highway 99 near Madera.
 
Casino Crime:
 
Leader pleads guilty in casino scam
4/3/2008, Los Angeles Times
SAN DIEGO -- The leader of a crew that took casinos for about $7 million pleaded guilty Wednesday to racketeering conspiracy charges in what federal authorities have described as one of the largest cheating schemes ever busted. Phuong Quoc Truong, nicknamed Pai Gow John, ran a sophisticated operation that enlisted shady dealers to rig blackjack and mini-baccarat games and gamblers to place big bets, authorities said. The San Diego-based ring once won $868,000 in a 90-minute span by executing the "false shuffle," their trick of choice, according to the three-count indictment handed down last year in federal court in San Diego.

Tribal Courts and US Supreme Court:
 
  • DOJ to join argument in tribal court jurisdiction case
    4/3/2008, Indianz.com
    The U.S. Supreme Court granted a motion to allow the Department of Justice to participate in oral arguments in an upcoming tribal jurisdiction case. The court will hear Plains Commerce Bank v. Long on April 14. The case concerns a non-Indian bank's attempt to avoid the jurisdiction of the courts of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. The Bush administration is backing behalf of Ronnie and Lila Long, tribal members who suedPlains Commerce Bank in tribal court for breach of contract and discrimination. A DOJ brief said tribal courts play a "vital role" in tribal self-governance.

    • Does this apply to Tribal TEIR's:

  • California, 17 other states sue EPA over greenhouse gases
    4/3/2008, Sacramento Bee
    Attorney General Jerry Brown joined officials in 17 other states Wednesday to demand that the federal Environmental Protection Agency release its internal finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health. The move comes after EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson wrote last week that he plans to open a months-long public comment period on greenhouse gas emissions, a procedure critics say serves to delay action on emissions until after President Bush leaves office.
    • Presidential Politics:
     

  • Clinton says he would commit to Indian Country
    4/2/2008, Great Falls Tribune - Montana
    HAVRE - If his wife is elected president in November, former President Bill Clinton said he'd make it his personal responsibility to tackle the issues that are important to Native Americans. The former president, campaigning in Havre for New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, made the pledge to about 30 Montana tribal leaders in a private meeting before his morning speech in the MSU-Northern Armory Gymnasium. The meeting was attended by tribal leaders from the Blackfeet, Fort Peck, Fort Belknap, Chippewa-Cree and Little Shell tribes.

    • Congress Makes a Statement:

  • Vote puts Indian casinos in hands of top Dems
    4/2/2008, FREE PRESS WASHINGTON
    WASHINGTON - The House Judiciary Committee today overwhelmingly voted down a pair of bills which would clear the path to new Indian casinos in Romulus and Port Huron. Problem is, they've already been approved - also overwhelmingly - by the Natural Resources Committee, the panel usually charged with making decisions about Indian casinos when they come before Congress. Judiciary Chairman John Conyers is a strict opponent of the bills, believing they could hurt Detroit's casinos. He scheduled a hearing and a vote on the bills, claiming jurisdiction over a piece of each that gave enforcement issues to the federal courts - a responsibility of the Judiciary Committee.
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    Upcoming Hearings

    Public Comment deadline: Expansion of facility - Draft Environmental Impact Report presented by United Auburn Indian Community. C/O: AES 1801 7th St., Suite 100, Sacramento, CA. 95811.  Written comments will be accepted through April 10, 2008.

    Public Comment deadline: Off Reservation Proposal - Manzanita Band in the City of Calexico.  Mail comments to Amy Dutschke, acting Regional Director, Pacific Regional Office, BIA, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA. 92825. Written comments will be accepted through April 7, 2008.

    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. Mail comments to Amy Dutschke, acting Regional Director, Pacific Regional Office, BIA, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA. 92825. Written comments will be accepted through May 5, 2008.
     
    Public Comment Deadline:  Off Reservation Proposal,
    Comments on the Final EIS for the Scotts Valley Casino in the City of Richmond. Mail comments to Amy Dutschke, acting Regional Director, Pacific Regional Office, BIA, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA. 92825. Written comments will be accepted through April 28, 2008.
     

    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 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
     
    Notice of Approval of Class III Tribal Gaming Ordinances
    3/30/2008, Federal Register 3-17-2008 NIGC
    SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of class III gaming ordinances approved by the Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission. EFFECTIVE DATE: This notice is effective upon date of publication in the Federal Register.