5.31.07 Big Lagoon Rancheria signs Barstow extension
Jessie Faulkner
Eureka Times Standard
BIG LAGOON -- Holding on to the hope that the state Legislature will take action, the Big Lagoon Rancheria announced Wednesday that it has signed an extension to its gaming compact.
This means that the state Legislature has until Sept. 17 -- the last day of the legislative session -- to ratify the tribe's gaming compact. Sen. Patricia Wiggins is sponsoring Senate Bill 157.
”We're just trying to get it through the legislature,” Big Lagoon Rancheria Chairman Virgil Moorehead said.
Under provisions of the compact, Big Lagoon Rancheria will open a casino on the outskirts of Barstow -- the first such agreement to allow gaming away from tribal lands. When signed in September 2005, the compact was hailed as a proactive move to protect the sensitive Big Lagoon environment.
However, that fact has not won out -- at least so far -- against lobbying from larger gaming tribes objecting to provisions dedicating a higher percentage of gaming revenue to the state and making it easier for employees to unionize.
Moorehead noted that the Rancheria has some agreements with labor unions who are lobbying on behalf of the tribe's gaming compact. While Moorehead said the Rancheria has been assured that the Governor fully supports the compact, he noted there's been little lobbying effort from that office.
The immediate goal is to get a committee hearing for the compact -- a necessary step before the measure can advance to the Senate floor. Thus far, no hearing date has been scheduled, according to a spokesperson for the Governmental Organization Committee.
David Miller, Wiggins' press secretary, said there has been an indication from legislative sources that it may be best to wait until the Assembly approves the five gaming compacts currently under consideration before scheduling a hearing on Big Lagoon's agreement.
”That could be as early as a couple of weeks,” Miller said.
Unlike most state legislation, gaming compacts are considered similar to memorandums of understanding and are not subject to the May 31 deadline for passing legislation out of committee.
Jessie Faulkner can be reached at 441-0517 or jfaulkner@times-standard.com
Jessie Faulkner
Eureka Times Standard
BIG LAGOON -- Holding on to the hope that the state Legislature will take action, the Big Lagoon Rancheria announced Wednesday that it has signed an extension to its gaming compact.
This means that the state Legislature has until Sept. 17 -- the last day of the legislative session -- to ratify the tribe's gaming compact. Sen. Patricia Wiggins is sponsoring Senate Bill 157.
”We're just trying to get it through the legislature,” Big Lagoon Rancheria Chairman Virgil Moorehead said.
Under provisions of the compact, Big Lagoon Rancheria will open a casino on the outskirts of Barstow -- the first such agreement to allow gaming away from tribal lands. When signed in September 2005, the compact was hailed as a proactive move to protect the sensitive Big Lagoon environment.
However, that fact has not won out -- at least so far -- against lobbying from larger gaming tribes objecting to provisions dedicating a higher percentage of gaming revenue to the state and making it easier for employees to unionize.
Moorehead noted that the Rancheria has some agreements with labor unions who are lobbying on behalf of the tribe's gaming compact. While Moorehead said the Rancheria has been assured that the Governor fully supports the compact, he noted there's been little lobbying effort from that office.
The immediate goal is to get a committee hearing for the compact -- a necessary step before the measure can advance to the Senate floor. Thus far, no hearing date has been scheduled, according to a spokesperson for the Governmental Organization Committee.
David Miller, Wiggins' press secretary, said there has been an indication from legislative sources that it may be best to wait until the Assembly approves the five gaming compacts currently under consideration before scheduling a hearing on Big Lagoon's agreement.
”That could be as early as a couple of weeks,” Miller said.
Unlike most state legislation, gaming compacts are considered similar to memorandums of understanding and are not subject to the May 31 deadline for passing legislation out of committee.
Jessie Faulkner can be reached at 441-0517 or jfaulkner@times-standard.com
NOTE: This story fails to recognize that the Gaming Compact agreement had a built in May 31, 2007 deadline which the tribe and it's Detroit backers have failed to meet and will not complete by September 17, 2007 (the new extension) either:
- "If the 25 Acre Parcel is not taken into trust and determined eligible for Class III Gaming pursuant to section 20(b)(1)(A) of IGRA prior to May 31, 2007, the Compact shall be deemed null and void unless the Tribe and the State agree in writing to extend the date."
http://haloscan.com/tb/timesstandard/6027890
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