Feinstein supports Florez's effort to block mega-casino on Highway 99 in Madera County
5/9/2008, Fresno Bee
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who opposes building Indian casinos on non-reservation land, has written a letter to State Sen. Dean Florez saying she supports his bill to block state tribal compacts before tribes get federal recognition of the land intended for a casino. This effort is aimed at the Madera County casino the North Fork Rancheria of the Mono Indians wants to build on Highway 99. It would be 40 miles from the tribe's land. Read letter:
Letter Supporting SB 1695 opposing off Rez Casinos
United States Senator Dianne Feinstein
Calif. appeals U.S. ruling barring casino payment deals
5/9/2008, Press Enterprise - Associated Press
The California Attorney General's Office is appealing a federal ruling that barred the state from seeking payments from an American Indian tribe in exchange for allowing the tribe to add slot machines at its casino. The state also asked U.S. Magistrate Judge William McCurine Jr. on Thursday to stay his decision pending the outcome of the appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Growing threat to land-in-trust statute
5/9/2008, Indian Country Today
The federal government's recent actions involving its authority to make decisions on acquiring land in trust for tribal gaming purposes may inadvertently threaten the authority and duty of the secretary of the Interior Department to take land into trust for Indian tribes.
State cracks down on electronic bingo machines in Sacramento County
5/9/2008, Sacramento Bee
The future of electronic bingo games and the local charities supported by them in Sacramento County is being thrown into question as a number of the bingo operators have been ordered by the state attorney general's office to stop using slot-machine look-alikes. This is the first time the state has taken direct action to halt the use of electronic bingo machines in the county.
State appeals judge's order on slot machine expansion
5/8/2008, San Diego Union Tribune
A San Diego federal judge's order last week could lead to "an uncontrolled, if not chaotic" expansion of slot machines, lawyers for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said as part of an appeal filed Thursday. The judge found that the governor had negotiated in bad faith with North County's Rincon Indian band by asking for money for the state's general fund without offering something "meaningful" in return.
Water rights claim ends truce
5/8/2008, Village News
A court challenge filed by an Anza-based Indian tribe has reignited one of Southern California's longest-running water-rights disputes, an action that could tighten supplies in a vast area that takes in Camp Pendleton, Fallbrook, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore, Temecula, and its satellite horse and wine country communities. The challenge - which surfaced recently when residents and public agencies began receiving litigation notices - has toppled the most recent truce, a six-year lull in a long fight over where and how to tap the 749-square-mile watershed of Southern California's last free-flowing river.
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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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