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California Tribe Proposes Initiative

SACRAMENTO, California – As reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune: " Raising the stakes in a looming political fight over gambling, a powerful Palm Springs tribe has proposed an initiative that would give Indian casinos almost unlimited gaming in California.

"In return, tribes would pay the state the equivalent of the 8.8 percent corporate income tax that California collects from most other businesses.

"The Agua Caliente band drafted the initiative in response to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's call for tribes to pay their 'fair share' to help the state close a gaping budget deficit.

"But the proposal also is being offered as a countermeasure to another initiative that would give race tracks and cardrooms 30,000 slot machines unless all tribes agree to give the state 25 percent of their winnings.

"Agua Caliente Chairman Richard Milanovich said his tribe would push to qualify the measure for the November ballot, when the rival initiative also is expected to go before voters.

"…Milanovich had no estimate of what the measure might generate for the state, but said it would roughly double the amount Agua Caliente now pays into two other state funds.

"…Like Proposition 5, the Agua Caliente initiative would require the governor to enter into new gambling agreements, or compacts, with tribes, including those that do not have compacts.

"It would authorize all forms of casino gambling, including craps and roulette, which are not now legal in California…"

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