Senate approves Indian compacts
SACRAMENTO — The California Senate on Thursday approved compacts allowing six Indian tribes to expand gambling despite objections from some labor unions.
If approved by the state Assembly, the pacts negotiated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would allow five Southern California tribes to increase their number of slot machines from 10,000 to 32,500. The state anticipates that the compacts would add $506 million to its coffers in the fiscal year that begins in July.
The tribes are the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, which owns two casinos in Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage; the Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Palm Springs; the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians in Temecula; the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in San Bernardino; and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation in San Diego County.
In addition, a sixth pact approved by the Senate would permit 99 slot machines for the Yurok tribe of the isolated northern California town of Klamath. The tribe has been struggling for two years to get state approval for gambling. The Yurok is the largest tribe in California and one of the poorest, and asked for the slot machines to help keep its gas station open for the winter.
Schwarzenegger negotiated the compacts last year, and the state Senate approved them but they stalled in the Assembly. The deals call for the tribes to give the state up to 25% of the revenue from the new slot machines. Each machine can generate as much as $300 a day.
Unite Here, a union that organizes casino and hotel workers, is expected again to contest the compacts when they are considered by the Assembly, where the tribes and labor are among the biggest donors to Democrats. The union objects to details in the pacts that govern worker unionization and it objects to the lack of a requirement that casino books be independently audited.
Schwarzenegger praised the Senate and urged the Assembly to follow suit. “I believe these compacts are good for the state, the tribes and the local communities,” he said in a statement. “While each compact is unique, we have been able to enhance collaboration between local governments, mitigate environmental impacts and generate significant revenue for the state.”
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