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California Casino Bill Clears First Hurdle

CALIFORNIA – As reported by the Argus: "A bill to halt an East Bay Indian tribe's casino plans cleared its first hurdle last week, moving out of the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee to the Senate floor on a 10-3 vote.

"'Today's vote will help ensure that the Lytton tribe isn't able to short-circuit the regulatory process and proceed with Las Vegas-style gaming in the heart of the Bay Area,' said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the bill's author. 'This should be a signal that off-reservation, in-city gaming is not acceptable."

"The Casino San Pablo card room and its 9-acre tract at San Pablo Avenue and San Pablo Dam Road have been placed into trust for the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians, making it the East Bay's only Indian reservation.

"Feinstein's bill would not take the property away from the tribe, but it would force the tribe to undergo a years-long federal bureaucratic process and receive approval before installing any new casino games, from electronic bingo to Nevada-style slot machines.

"…Tribal spokesman Doug Elmets said the committee vote was only a first step, but if this bill eventually is signed into law, the Lytton Band almost certainly will sue to have it overturned as an unconstitutional taking of the tribe's property rights…"

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