Tribe wanting to buld casino granted 254 acres in Bay Area
5/7/2008, Contra Costa times
In a major step toward a Las Vegas-style mega-casino in the Bay Area, federal officials on Wednesday announced a decision to take 254 acres into trust for an American Indian tribe just off Highway 101 in Sonoma County. The 1,000-member Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria still needs a finalized environmental review, then must seal a state gaming compact before it can build a planned 760,000-square-foot casino complex with a 300-room hotel near Rohnert Park. But the decision pushes the tribe closer to that plan, which local opponents have fought for five years. Like the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians, which gained 9 acres of trust land in San Pablo - and now runs more than 1,000 electronic bingo machines there without a state compact - the decision Wednesday stems from a controversial act of Congress, not the usual regulatory approval process.
Rohnert Park casino clears hurdle5/8/2008, Press Democrat A Sonoma County Indian tribe on Wednesday cleared a key hurdle in building a Las Vegas-style casino-resort on the outskirts of Rohnert Park. The U.S. Department of the Interior announced it will take 254 acres of land near Highway 101 into federal trust for the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria. The decision, published in the federal register, becomes final after a 30-day judicial review. "This is just one of several steps in the long process to re-establish a reservation and build a resort," said Greg Sarris, tribal chairman, in a written statement.
5/7/2008, San Diego Union Tribune
The Pauma Indian band has scaled back plans for its $300 million resort hotel, cutting its tower from 23 stories to 19, trimming the size of the gambling floor, and eliminating an outdoor amphitheater. The tribe says the changes are in response to community concerns voiced last year after it announced details of the proposed resort it is building north of Valley Center with help of a tribe in Connecticut that operates Foxwoods, the largest casino in the country. "We did everything we could to address those concerns," Chris Devers, chairman of the 176-member Pauma tribe, said Wednesday.
5/8/2008, Sacramento Bee
It would be the Sears Tower of South Placer County: A 24-story casino hotel, towering above pastures and suburban homes, beckoning visitors for miles in every direction. Thunder Valley Casino's expansion plans are, in the words of an architect, "jaw-dropping." The proposed casino would radically alter the landscape of suburban South Placer County, where the skyline today features a four-story government complex, a few three-story parking garages and a biomass plant. "It'll be a big eyesore sticking out in the middle of nowhere," said Garry Meeker, 68, who lives a few miles from the planned high-rise, to be built atop a low-slung casino that now sits just off Highway 65.
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Upcoming Hearings
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
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
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 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.
http://thomas.loc.gov/
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