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.

Bingo - Heats UP--the next step to slot machines statewide, who is really behind this?

Editorial: Bingo nonprofits need help
4/10/2008, North County Times - Opinion
While fundraising from bingo has dipped precipitously in recent years for churches, charities and nonprofit organizations, Indian casinos have increased in size and profits. Seeking to reverse their fortunes, these organizations have formed Charities First, a group supporting legislation from state Sen. Gil Cedillo that would change the old bingo sessions to games electronically linked across the state, enabling bingo to offer prizes that could rise to six-digit payouts to winners.

 
Off Reservation - County of Yuba:
 
Yuba casino plan gets boost
4/9/2008, Appeal-Democrat
The number of supporters of the proposed Indian casino in south Yuba County far outweighed the opposition Wednesday night during a public hearing to discuss impacts to the area. Job creation and economic benefits to Yuba County were listed as reasons to support a draft environmental impact statement that would approve acquiring 40 acres of land into federal trust that would allow the casino to be built. "There are not a huge number of employers lining up to bring jobs to Yuba County," said Brad O'Dell, representative of @Work Personnel Services in Olivehurst. "This would definitely help our business, and the money from the casino would help other businesses that are suffering."

New Lands for what purpose?:

House Resources hearing on five Indian bills
4/10/2008, Indianz.com
* H.R.3490: To transfer administrative jurisdiction of certain Federal lands from the Bureau of Land Management to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to take such lands into trust for Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne Rancheria, and for other purposes. "Tuolumne Me-Wuk Land Transfer Act of 2007"

Related to Senator Battin's SB 1201:

Rincon band heads to court to battle for more slot machines
4/9/2008, San Diego Union Tribune
PASADENA - The Rincon Indian band's battle against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for more slot machines at its casino north of Valley Center is taking the tribe into the courts and the legislature. Wednesday, federal appeals court judges here questioned why a San Diego federal judge threw out part of the tribe's suit against the governor. And two weeks from now, a tribal leader is set to testify before a state Senate panel on a bill that would allow it to increase the number of slots it offers without reopening a deal it signed in 1999.


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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

International Masters of Gaming Law Conference, May 21-23, 2008. Villagio Inn & Spa, Napa Valley, California. Register online: www.imglconference.com/conference.htm
 

North American Regulators Association

June 10-13, 2008  Register on Line:  www.nagra.org
 

22nd National Conference on Problem Gambling

, June 26-28, 2008, Long Beach, California.  Register online: www.ncpgambling.org/conference
 
INDIAN COUNTRY'S WINNING HAND, October 16-17, 2008, Radisson Fort McDowell Resort & Casino Scottsdale/Fountian Hills, Arizona. Register online: www.law.asu.edu/ilp
 
 

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.