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.

Disaster looming on land-into-trust
4/30/2008, Turtletalk
Yesterday's per curiam opinion in MichGo v. Kempthorne, while very, very important to the Gun Lake Band and other Michigan tribes, did not break any new ground. It was the third time in recent years that citizens groups challenged the Secretary of Interior's decision to take land into trust for gaming purposes for the three southwest Michigan Potawatomi tribes (the other two were TOMAC v. Norton and CETAC v. Kempthorne). Each of the challenges raised NEPA and constitutional claims of very similar character. Each time it was relatively easy for the D.C. Circuit to dispose of these arguments, which some argued bordered on frivolous.
  • Morongo cut $8.1M check for California
    5/1/2008, The Desert Sun
    The Morongo Band of Mission Indians turned an $8.1 million check over to the California Gambling Control Commission on Wednesday, a delivery the tribe views as an antidote for the ailing state budget. It is the first check the tribe has cut that sends revenue directly to the general fund. Voters endorsed a set of revised compacts Feb. 5 to give four Southern California tribes with 2,000 slot machines more gaming power.

  • Artman leaves unfinished business at BIA
    5/1/2008, Indianz.com
    It's hard to accomplish much in a year at the Bureau of Indian Affairs so when assistant secretary Carl Artman leaves later this month, the agency will have a lot of big issues on its plate. During his short tenure, Artman certainly recorded several achievements. One notable improvement was the significant reduction in the probate backlog -- nearly half of the cases were resolved in the past two years and most should be completed by the end of this year.

  • Gambling and the Law: All Hat And No Cattle
    4/30/2008, Gambling and the Law
    This is the story of a casino that will never exist. In the computer industry, when a company announces that it is developing some great new software, but nothing is ever actually produced, they call it vaporware. In the gaming industry, we have vaporcasinos.

    • Investor joins Ohio casino effort
    4/30/2008, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
    One of the country's top poker players is placing his chips on a casino in southwestern Ohio. Lyle Berman, the chief executive of Minneapolis-based Lakes Entertainment Inc., is teaming up with a pair of Cleveland-area investors who want to build a $600 million casino-resort complex in Clinton County.


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    Upcoming Hearings

    Public Comment Deadline: Off Reservation Proposal -of the Enterpise Rancheria proposed fee to trust land acquisition 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 Hearing: Off Reservation  228.04 acre trust acquisition and construction of casino project to be located within the City of Plymouth in Amador County, California.Mail comments to Amy Dutschke, acting Regional Director, Pacific Regional Office, BIA, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA. 92825. Written comments will be accepted through July 2, 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
    NCLGS - National Council of Legislators from Gaming States
    Summer Meeting - June 13 -15, 2008 Napa Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa Napa, California. www.nclgs.org  sign up online.
    Presentations will include: bingo and charitable gaming, lottery, off reservation gaming 
     

    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

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    State Legislation to Watch

    AJR 39 -  Assembly Member Huffman

    Reaffirmation of the Winneman Wintu.  

    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 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. Veto Bait.
    SB 1328 - Sen.  Cedillo - deletes the $250 limitation on bingo game payouts, thereby allows for an award of any denomination. BILL HAS BEEN PULLED
    SB - 1570 - Sen. Vincent - Requires the Governor to use best efforts to ensure 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 -Game of Bingo to be played by machine with electronic cards.  Slot machines?    BILL HAS BEEN PULLED                                                                                             SB 1679 - Sen. Florez - Lottery Reform Bill:  requiresthat 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 - Prohibits the Governor from negotiating or concluding a gaming compact with a tribe that does not have land held in trust on which the gaming is to occur and that is not federally recognized.
    SCA 20 -Sen.  Vincent - Constitutional Amendment authorizes Roulette and Craps on California Indian lands for compact tribes.

     

    Federal Legislation to Watch 

    H.R. 3490 - Congressman Radanovich
    Declares that specificed federal lands are to be held in trust by the US for the benefit of the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuik Indians  for non gaming purposes.
    H.R. 5608 Congressman Rahall - mandates that adminstration directly consults with tribes on policies that directly affect their lives.
    S. 2676 - Senator Vitter - Common Sense Indian Gambling Reform Act of 2008. To make technical corrections to IGRA. Consultation with local government.
     

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