• Democrats face GOP opposition over tax increase of $6.4 billion
    6/6/2008, San Diego Union Tribune
    The good news for Schwarzenegger is new life for his much-derided proposal to sell $15 billion worth of bonds that would be paid off with new revenue from boosting ticket sales for the "underperforming" lottery. The bad news for Schwarzenegger is that the Democratic plan would use $5 billion to plug a hole in the new budget, just like the governor's plan, but the rest of the bond money would be used to pay off debt.

  • Dems want to borrow from lottery to help close budget deficit
    6/6/2008, Sacramento Bee
    Assembly Democrats have supported the governor's plan to borrow from the lottery but rejected his proposal to put the money into a so-called "rainy day" account. Instead, they would like to use the money to pay down debt. Democratic leaders in both houses proposed giving schools more than the governor recommended. They include cost-of-living increases for teachers.

  • Judge Blocks State's Threatened Bingo Machine Seizure
    6/6/2008, Channel 10
    SACRAMENTO, CA - A federal judge late Thursday blocked the threatened seizure of electronic bingo machines by the California Department of Justice. U.S. District Court Judge John Mendez issued a temporary restraining order to stop the state's enforcement action against four Sacramento bingo halls. The Department of Justice had threatened to seize the machines as early as Friday. United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Sacramento and WIND Youth Services filed suit Wednesday, claiming the state's seizure of electronic bingo machines would discriminate against the disabled. Both charities benefit from electronic bingo play.

  • Looking at changes to IGRA -NEPA
    6/6/2008, Indian Country Today
    WASHINGTON - The new regulations implementing Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act contain a so-called ''grandfather'' clause, permitting tribes already in the midst of the marathon process of obtaining new trust lands for gaming purposes to go forward without hindrance from the newfangled standards - provided the Department of the Interior or the National Indian Gaming Commission has issued a written opinion in their case prior to the May 12 effective date of the regulations.

  • Noted lawyer hired in land suit
    6/6/2008, The Providence Journal
    Governor Carcieri has enlisted the man who successfully argued the case that put George W. Bush in the White House to help the state in its fight to keep control of 31 acres owned by the Narragansett Indian Tribe. Former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson will join Assistant Attorney General Neil F.X. Kelly and Claire J.V. Richards, Carcieri's former deputy legal counsel, in arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court in the Indian land case this fall, according to a U.S. Supreme Court docket. Joseph S. Larisa Jr. will represent the Town of Charlestown as its solicitor on Indian affairs.

  • BIA to review California off-reservation casino again
    6/6/2008, Indianz.com
    In a notice being published in the Federal Register today, the BIA said it will prepare another environmental impact statement on the off-reservation casino sought by the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeņo Indians. The tribe seeks to acquire 45 acres in Barstow, more than 100 miles from the reservation.

  • The economics of slot play
    6/6/2008, Southtown Star- ILL.
    Even though there is no strategy for winning at slots, it shouldn't deter gamblers from becoming the smartest and most well-informed slot players they can possibly be. It doesn't make sense to sit in front of a machine, slip your hard-earned money in the bill acceptor and start playing when you really aren't aware of what it's costing you to play. There's a lot more to playing slots than gambling your money and hoping for a jackpot.

  • Controversial gambling proposals tossed
    6/6/2008, Tulsa World
    OKLAHOMA CITY - The chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission announced Thursday that the agency will drop two controversial proposed regulations for many electronic American Indian casino games.

  • Government retreats on tribal bingo regulation
    6/5/2008, Associated Press
    WASHINGTON - Under pressure from Indian tribes, federal regulators announced Thursday they're retreating on attempts to make sure electronic bingo machines at tribal casinos can't masquerade as Las Vegas-style slots. Phil Hogen, chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, said in a statement that he will "put aside the controversial proposals," acceding to tribes' complaints that they could have dire economic impacts.

  • NIGC Sets Aside Class II Classification, Definition Regulations
    6/5/2008, NIGC Press Release
    Oklahoma City, OK June 5, 2008 -National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) Chairman Philip N. Hogen announced today that NIGC is putting aside what have become the more controversial portions of the four-part package of Class II gaming regulations proposed October 2007. Speaking at the Oklahoma Sovereignty Symposium in Oklahoma City, Hogen explained that the package was intended to draw a "bright line" between equipment tribes may use for uncompacted "Class II" gaming, such as bingo, and equipment used for "Class III" gaming, such as slot machines, which requires Tribal compacts with States. The NIGC, Hogen said, will now consider only Technical Standards and Minimum Internal Control Standards for Class II gaming and will put aside the controversial proposals that would create a system for game classification as well as modify the definition of "facsimiles of any game of chance."

  • The Handwriting on the Wall: A School to Prison Pipeline
    6/5/2008, American Chronicle
    Jeffery S. Williams has taught high school English for 21 years, interspersing that career with a 3-year stint in journalism and freelance. Jeffery and his wife Katherine of 23 years have a son Calvin who is attending college. Jeffery has published short stories in literary journals such as the San Joaquin Review and Epiphany, earned a masterīs degree in creative writing at California State University, Fresno and last year published his first novel PIRATE SPIRIT: The Adventures of Anne Bonney. The novel is a book club selection for CatholicMom.Com. a winner in the Readers Views Literary Contest is currently being written into a movie script.

  • CRIT resort/casino has employee layoffs
    6/5/2008, Parker Pioneer
    Approximately 70 employees of the Colorado River Indian Tribes' BlueWater Resort & Casino were told May 30 by acting general manager Bill Beeson they were laid off. A prepared statement handed out to the newly laid off employees stated the "staff reduction ... is necessary due to the declining economy and reduced patron counts at the BlueWater."

  • Supreme Court delays action on Indian gaming case
    6/5/2008, Indianz.com
    A case that tests a critical provision of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act remains on the docket as the U.S. Supreme Court wraps up its current term. The court was due to consider a petition filed by the Kickapoo Tribe during a closed-door conference last week. Instead of taking action, however, the justices asked the state of Texas to file a brief in the case.