9.12.07 Barstow casino compacts fail to pass state legislature
By JASON SMITH, staff writer
BARSTOW — The state Senate adjourned for the 2007 legislative session at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday and failed to approve the agreements necessary for the Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Indian tribes to build a casino in Barstow.
The Barstow casino compacts, signed by the governor on Sept. 9, 2005, will expire if not passed by both houses of the state legislature by Sept. 17, 2007. Tuesday was the last day for the senate to pass any legislation. A bill to approve the compacts was introduced in January, but the bill was never voted on by the full senate during the 2007 session. A similar bill to pass the compacts in the state assembly failed in 2006.
The original sponsor of the bill, Senator Patricia Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa, amended the bill on Sept. 7 and deleted the language related to the Barstow casino, replacing it with an unrelated bill concerned with alcoholic beverages.
Although Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for two special sessions of the legislature for later this year, these sessions will only discuss health care reform and water safety issues and the Barstow compacts will not be considered, said Alicia Tross, spokeswoman for senate President Don Perata, D-Oakland.
Sabrina Lockhart, spokeswoman for Governor’s office, said that the governor was "disappointed by the legislature’s failure to approve the compacts."
She said that although the expiration date for the compacts is fast approaching, the governor continues to support the development of a casino in Barstow.
"We’ll be talking to the tribes and discussing our options of what happens next. This is something we will continue to strive for," she said.
She did not rule out the possibility of extending the deadline for the compacts to be approved by the legislature and said that meetings were planned with the tribes.
Virgil Moorehead, chairman for the Big Lagoon tribe, was unable to be reached for comment Wednesday but said in May that he would not support an extension. His tribe has been fighting to build a casino for six years and has been involved with the Barstow casino for two years. Moorehead previously said the tribe had the option to walk away from the whole project when the land into trust deadline approached but agreed to the Sept. 17 extension, making it clear this would be the last.
"If it doesn't make it by September 17, there's no deal," he said in May.
Representatives from BarWest., LLC, the casino’s developer, the Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Indian tribes have not responded to requests for comment. They will be issuing a joint statement on Wendesday afternoon, said BarWest spokesman Tom Shields.
By JASON SMITH, staff writer
BARSTOW — The state Senate adjourned for the 2007 legislative session at 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday and failed to approve the agreements necessary for the Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Indian tribes to build a casino in Barstow.
The Barstow casino compacts, signed by the governor on Sept. 9, 2005, will expire if not passed by both houses of the state legislature by Sept. 17, 2007. Tuesday was the last day for the senate to pass any legislation. A bill to approve the compacts was introduced in January, but the bill was never voted on by the full senate during the 2007 session. A similar bill to pass the compacts in the state assembly failed in 2006.
The original sponsor of the bill, Senator Patricia Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa, amended the bill on Sept. 7 and deleted the language related to the Barstow casino, replacing it with an unrelated bill concerned with alcoholic beverages.
Although Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called for two special sessions of the legislature for later this year, these sessions will only discuss health care reform and water safety issues and the Barstow compacts will not be considered, said Alicia Tross, spokeswoman for senate President Don Perata, D-Oakland.
Sabrina Lockhart, spokeswoman for Governor’s office, said that the governor was "disappointed by the legislature’s failure to approve the compacts."
She said that although the expiration date for the compacts is fast approaching, the governor continues to support the development of a casino in Barstow.
"We’ll be talking to the tribes and discussing our options of what happens next. This is something we will continue to strive for," she said.
She did not rule out the possibility of extending the deadline for the compacts to be approved by the legislature and said that meetings were planned with the tribes.
Virgil Moorehead, chairman for the Big Lagoon tribe, was unable to be reached for comment Wednesday but said in May that he would not support an extension. His tribe has been fighting to build a casino for six years and has been involved with the Barstow casino for two years. Moorehead previously said the tribe had the option to walk away from the whole project when the land into trust deadline approached but agreed to the Sept. 17 extension, making it clear this would be the last.
"If it doesn't make it by September 17, there's no deal," he said in May.
Representatives from BarWest., LLC, the casino’s developer, the Big Lagoon Rancheria and Los Coyotes Indian tribes have not responded to requests for comment. They will be issuing a joint statement on Wendesday afternoon, said BarWest spokesman Tom Shields.
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