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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. | |
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Cloverdale council opposes casino
5/15/2008, The Press Democrat
Cloverdale City Council members on Wednesday essentially said "no dice" to a casino in their town. On a 4-0 vote, council members passed a resolution opposing the Cloverdale Rancheria's plans to build a Las Vegas-style casino at the southern end of town, next to Highway 101. The resolution opposes the casino on a number of grounds, beginning with its "detrimental" effect on the small-town atmosphere Cloverdale prides itself on. The resolution listed everything from traffic and congestion to a possible increase in crime and loss of industrially zoned land where the casino would be built.
Premature casino compact may backfire on tribe5/15/2008, Fresno Bee Proponents of the ill-advised Highway 99 Indian casino in Madera County may have overplayed their hand when they cut an early deal with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on a revenue-sharing agreement with the state. The North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians doesn't even have federal approval for the casino land -- a necessary step -- yet the tribe and Schwarzenegger have already negotiated a gambling compact.
Legal group wants sovereign immunity reviewed
5/15/2008, indianz.com
A conservative-leaning legal group wants the U.S. Supreme Court , or Congress, to review whether tribes are entitled to sovereign immunity. Pacific Legal Foundation, which has represented non-Indians in cases against tribes, asked the high court to review a case involving the Blue Lake Rancheria of California. A non-Indian woman wanted to sue a home building firm that is owned by the tribe. The California courts dismissed the case, citing the tribe's sovereign immunity. A tribal spokesperson also said the woman's claims about her home are without merit. | |
Dan Walters: Once again, Schwarzenegger wimps out
5/16/2008, Sacramento Bee
There is - or at least should be - only one standard by which to judge Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest budget proposal: Does it stop the "crazy deficit spending" that he pledged to end when he was elected five years ago, or at least make significant progress toward fiscal responsibility?
For what the bell tolls: California's shakedown
5/16/2008, Indian Country Today
The latest shot heard round the gaming world was in April: the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California's ruling in Rincon Band v. Schwarzenegger, et al., a formerly obscure lawsuit pitting a small California gaming tribe against the largess of the state of California, concerning the state's tribal-state compacting process, of which the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians believes the state's negotiation tactics constituted ''bad faith.''
Governor's gaming money
5/15/2008, Press Democrat
If there's something positive to be found in the governor's revised budget it's that he appears to be coming around to the idea that California is not going to cut its way out of a $15.2 billion shortfall. His new plan includes about $7 billion in ideas for generating new revenue.
Lawmakers take aim at budget
5/15/2008, San Diego Union Tribune
SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to use money from an expanded lottery to plug a big state budget hole is not looking like a winning ticket.
States to enforce molester law on tribal land
5/15/2008, Stateline.org
A little-noticed provision in a 2006 federal sex-offender law is rankling American Indian tribes in six states because it would give state law enforcers unprecedented authority to monitor child molesters living on tribal land.
Q&A: How the lottery proposal would work
5/15/2008, Sacramento Bee
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing to borrow against lottery proceeds to help address the state's budget problems. Here's a quick look at the plan: Q: How would the borrowing work? A: The state would seek investors to lend $15 billion secured by future earnings from lottery games the state hopes would be improved and more lucrative. Investors would be repaid from lottery funds over 32 years. Q: What would the state do with the money? A: It would go into a rainy day fund the governor hopes to create in a separate ballot measure. About $5.1 billion could be used to help balance the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The rest could be used over the next two years
River Rock Casino revenues slip
5/15/2008, Press Democrat
River Rock Casino reported $33.2 million in net revenue for the first quarter of 2008, down about $1 million from last year, casino officials said Thursday. The Alexander Valley casino earned nearly $7 million in the quarter before distributions to its owners, the Dry Creek tribe of Pomo Indians. The tribe received about $3.1 million for the period ending March 31.
Schwarzenegger administration puts out lotto memo
5/15/2008, Sacramento Bee
In an attempt to regain control of public opinion on its recently released lottery proposal, the Schwarzenegger administration has written and distributed a memo about the plan. The memo outlines the lottery proposal and, in the administration's own words, "why we expect no challenges to this plan." | |
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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. Bill has been pulled.
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. Bill passes the Senate.
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.
H. R. 5680 Congressman Grijalva - A bill to extend leases for Morongo and transfer money to CRIT.
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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