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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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Temecula opposes federal land transfer to Pechanga tribe5/20/2008, The Press-Enterprise
Temecula's city manager is worried a congressional bill transferring federal land to the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians would result in development of what is supposed to be open space. Shawn Nelson expressed his concerns in a May 14 letter to Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, who sponsored the bill. Passed by the House of Representatives last summer, the bill is now before a Senate committee. The bill would transfer 1,178 acres in Riverside and San Diego counties to the tribe to preserve culturally and historically significant land. No money would change hands but federal dollars would no longer maintain the property, according to information provided last year by Issa's office.
City of Temecula Opposition Letter to H.R. 2963 May 14, 2008, Shawn Nelson, City Manager - Read the City's letter.
Plymouth torn over casino proposal5/22/2008, Stockton Record Net PLYMOUTH - This tiny town just 47 miles from Stockton is bitterly divided over an Indian tribe's plans to build a casino with 2,000 slot machines, and many residents don't trust the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to properly study how the casino would affect everything from traffic and air pollution to crime and schools, they said at a hearing Wednesday night. A number also accused the BIA of making it difficult for residents to even get a copy of the draft environmental impact statement on the proposed casino that was the subject of Wednesday's hearing and complained that it cost a steep $175 for people wanting to obtain a paper copy of the document.
Soboba water settlement approved in House; Senate OK still needed5/21/2008, The Press-Enterprise The House of Representatives passed a landmark bill Wednesday that would settle a long-running water rights dispute involving the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians and water agencies in the San Jacinto Valley. The bill, introduced by Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, last year, next faces consideration in the Senate.
Panel votes to get slot inspectors back in the game5/22/2008, San Diego Union Tribune SACRAMENTO - Reversing itself, a Senate panel voted yesterday to restore funding for a team of slot-machine inspectors who represent a leading edge of the state's effort to establish an independent presence in California's Indian casinos. The Assembly is expected to follow suit next week, but the state's gambling commission has not quelled all tribal opposition to the slot-testing operation. | |
Meeting today to discuss water supply for Shingle Springs casino5/21/2008, Sacramento Bee A presentation on recent discussions with the El Dorado Irrigation District regarding water service to the Shingle Springs Rancheria and Red Hawk Casino is scheduled today during a special meeting of the El Dorado Local Agency Formation Commission. The special meeting will be held immediately following LAFCO's regular meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Building C hearing room, 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville. LAFCO rules on government reorganizations in the county, and in 1989 it approved annexation of the rancheria to the El Dorado Irrigation District for water service. The annexation agreement, however, limited that service to 40 residences, a community building and garden plots.
New tack urged for casino measure5/21/2008, ARGUS-COURIER Former Petaluma City Councilman Mike Healy and other opponents of the proposed Rohnert Park casino are crafting a proposed ballot measure that would ask Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state Legislature to pay close attention to how negative impacts would be mitigated. "We want to create a measure that would attract three votes from the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors so that we can put it on the November ballot," Healy said. "Based on the February hearing (in which the board decided not to put an advisory measure on an upcoming ballot), we decided that we might focus on the mitigating impacts of the casino listed in the (upcoming) environmental impact statement.
Riverside County sheriff hopes to improve tribal relations in wake of shootings5/20/2008, The Press-Enterprise Riverside County Sheriff Stanley Sniff said Tuesday his department is launching two initiatives to improve relationships with tribes following three fatal deputy-involved shootings this month on the Soboba reservation. Sniff said he would appoint a lieutenant to act as a liaison to the tribes and a stable point of contact. The move would support his department's philosophy of enhancing community-based policing, Sniff said. He also said during a Riverside County Board of Supervisors meeting that his department will begin recruiting tribal members.
Expansion for bingo-style slots planned at Valley View Casino5/21/2008, San Diego Union Tribune VALLEY CENTER - The San Pasqual Indian band announced yesterday it is planning to add about 400 bingo-style slot machines to its Valley View Casino in advance of a hotel it is building. The tribe said it plans to build a 7,000-square-foot addition for nonsmoking gambling areas and some support services in an area between its 110,000-square-foot casino and 1,200-space parking garage.
Dan Walters: Schwarzenegger's lottery plan lacks support5/22/2008, The Sacramento Bee Arnold Schwarzenegger often refers to himself as a master salesman, but so far, at least, he hasn't sold his convoluted approach to the deficit-ridden state budget - centered on borrowing heavily against future state lottery revenue. Not a single state legislator of either party has endorsed his plan, albeit for different reasons, and a new poll finds that Californians don't care for it either, particularly the lottery scheme.
Governor garners little support for plan to use lottery to fix budget5/22/2008, S. F. Chronicle The vast majority of Californians are skeptical of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to borrow against future state lottery sales to help close the $17.2 billion budget deficit, according to a new survey by the Public Policy Institute of California. Just 35 percent of about 2,000 residents polled statewide last week said they are satisfied with Schwarzenegger's budget plan, which was released on May 14 and includes deep cuts to health and human services, while 56 percent said they are dissatisfied and 9 percent have no opinion. | |
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Upcoming Hearings
Comments Due: 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. 2963 - Congressman Issa Transfers without regulatory environmental process 1,178 ac. in Riverside and San Diego Counties to the Pechanga Band. Why?
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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