Compact confidence
Compact confidence
Tribal leaders optimistic that stalled California compacts will be approved this legislative session
A number of California tribal gaming compacts that were expected to be renegotiated last year, but instead were left in limbo, are expected to be approved during this current legislative session, tribal leaders and lawmakers said.
The renegotiated pacts, if approved by the state's House and Senate, could add as many as 22,500 new slot machines to several of the state's tribal casinos, generating more than $20 billion in additional funds to state coffers over the life of the compacts-including an estimated $509 million this year.
Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced five new tribal compacts allowing tribes to add more slot machines: an agreement with the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation to add 3,000 slot machines to its Sycuan Hotel & Casino in El Cajon; an agreement with the Yurok Tribe to install 99 slot machines on its reservation in Northern California; and three other deals with the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians to add up to 5,500 slot machines at each of their Southern California casinos.
But a number of factors, including the agreements coming at the end of the legislative session, the political nature of the then-transpiring governor's race, competitive issues with the state's horse tracks and adamant opposition from organized labor, brought the hopes of approval for the compacts to a screeching halt.
Another agreement, which would have allowed the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to add 3,000 additional slot machines to its casinos in Riverside County, was struck down by the state Assembly after opposition from labor groups like UNITE HERE, an international hotel workers union. UNITE HERE has argued that tribes haven't allowed the union to organize workers in tribal casinos.
This year Schwarzenegger included the $509 million figure in his 2007 state budget proposal and warned lawmakers that without the compacts, the state would suffer. During the Western Indian Gaming Conference, held at the Pechanga Hotel & Casino in mid-January, tribal leaders said their biggest focus was educating the 48 new members of the state's Legislature.
"It's really about education, education, education," said Anthony Miranda, chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, organizer of the WIGC. "We have a lot of new legislators, so we're going to be working with them and educating them about tribal issues, educating them about sovereignty. CNIGA doesn't really get behind one compact or the other, but we support the overall tribes' ability to get them done."
State Sen. Jeff Denham (R-Merced) said the education process was critical to building relationships between the state government and each of the state's sovereign tribal governments. The 48 new lawmakers have to hear what the tribal issues are and remain in constant communication-even after tribes get compacts signed or other business conducted.
"It's going to take a great deal of research," said Denham, who spoke during a workshop on the state's legislative process at the WIGC. "It's going to take a great deal of time to educate all of those new members."
State Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) said he envisioned the compacts being discussed on the House and Senate floors by April 1.
One of the roadblocks that held the compacts up last year is not expected to go away this year.
"UNITE HERE has been very aggressive in attempting to get us to change our consideration of how they're going to be allowed onto our tribal grounds in terms of organizing our team members," said Richard Milanovich, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. "They have that right, right now, to due a process if they wish to follow it. They've refused to follow that process. We have no intention of changing our position as far as allowing any labor organization onto our grounds because it's not necessary. They have the right now to go in and organize."
Milanovich said Schwarzenegger had approved the compacts, and that he was confident the Legislature would see the benefits they bring. He said his tribe's own experiences with the governor's office have been excellent.
"The governor has done an about-face in and of his own right to try and better understand what the tribes represent here in California and what they mean to the state. And he's taken a different tack. He's changed his cabinet of advisers, and the ones that are in there now are more willing to take a look at the tribes and see what we can do together," Milanovich said.
Still, Miranda, CNIGA and other state tribal leaders said they would like to see Schwarzenegger create a tribal liaison in his cabinet to facilitate Indian Country issues.
Sen. Florez, during the WICG's regulatory workshop, also announced the introduction of Senate Bill 62, which would ensure that any deficits to the revenue-sharing fund aimed at helping nongaming tribes would be backed by the state's general fund.
-Andy Holtmann
Tribal leaders optimistic that stalled California compacts will be approved this legislative session
A number of California tribal gaming compacts that were expected to be renegotiated last year, but instead were left in limbo, are expected to be approved during this current legislative session, tribal leaders and lawmakers said.
The renegotiated pacts, if approved by the state's House and Senate, could add as many as 22,500 new slot machines to several of the state's tribal casinos, generating more than $20 billion in additional funds to state coffers over the life of the compacts-including an estimated $509 million this year.
Last year, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced five new tribal compacts allowing tribes to add more slot machines: an agreement with the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation to add 3,000 slot machines to its Sycuan Hotel & Casino in El Cajon; an agreement with the Yurok Tribe to install 99 slot machines on its reservation in Northern California; and three other deals with the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians to add up to 5,500 slot machines at each of their Southern California casinos.
But a number of factors, including the agreements coming at the end of the legislative session, the political nature of the then-transpiring governor's race, competitive issues with the state's horse tracks and adamant opposition from organized labor, brought the hopes of approval for the compacts to a screeching halt.
Another agreement, which would have allowed the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to add 3,000 additional slot machines to its casinos in Riverside County, was struck down by the state Assembly after opposition from labor groups like UNITE HERE, an international hotel workers union. UNITE HERE has argued that tribes haven't allowed the union to organize workers in tribal casinos.
This year Schwarzenegger included the $509 million figure in his 2007 state budget proposal and warned lawmakers that without the compacts, the state would suffer. During the Western Indian Gaming Conference, held at the Pechanga Hotel & Casino in mid-January, tribal leaders said their biggest focus was educating the 48 new members of the state's Legislature.
"It's really about education, education, education," said Anthony Miranda, chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, organizer of the WIGC. "We have a lot of new legislators, so we're going to be working with them and educating them about tribal issues, educating them about sovereignty. CNIGA doesn't really get behind one compact or the other, but we support the overall tribes' ability to get them done."
State Sen. Jeff Denham (R-Merced) said the education process was critical to building relationships between the state government and each of the state's sovereign tribal governments. The 48 new lawmakers have to hear what the tribal issues are and remain in constant communication-even after tribes get compacts signed or other business conducted.
"It's going to take a great deal of research," said Denham, who spoke during a workshop on the state's legislative process at the WIGC. "It's going to take a great deal of time to educate all of those new members."
State Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) said he envisioned the compacts being discussed on the House and Senate floors by April 1.
One of the roadblocks that held the compacts up last year is not expected to go away this year.
"UNITE HERE has been very aggressive in attempting to get us to change our consideration of how they're going to be allowed onto our tribal grounds in terms of organizing our team members," said Richard Milanovich, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. "They have that right, right now, to due a process if they wish to follow it. They've refused to follow that process. We have no intention of changing our position as far as allowing any labor organization onto our grounds because it's not necessary. They have the right now to go in and organize."
Milanovich said Schwarzenegger had approved the compacts, and that he was confident the Legislature would see the benefits they bring. He said his tribe's own experiences with the governor's office have been excellent.
"The governor has done an about-face in and of his own right to try and better understand what the tribes represent here in California and what they mean to the state. And he's taken a different tack. He's changed his cabinet of advisers, and the ones that are in there now are more willing to take a look at the tribes and see what we can do together," Milanovich said.
Still, Miranda, CNIGA and other state tribal leaders said they would like to see Schwarzenegger create a tribal liaison in his cabinet to facilitate Indian Country issues.
Sen. Florez, during the WICG's regulatory workshop, also announced the introduction of Senate Bill 62, which would ensure that any deficits to the revenue-sharing fund aimed at helping nongaming tribes would be backed by the state's general fund.
-Andy Holtmann
