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Debate in California Continues

SACRAMENTO -- Two former State Senate leaders, declaring that the proposed Indian gambling initiative is unconstitutional and would "transform California into a casino gambling state like New Jersey and Nevada," have filed a lawsuit to remove the measure from the November ballot.

Former Senate Democratic Leader Barry Keene and former Senate Republican Leader Bill Campbell filed the lawsuit with the Court of Appeals.

Keene and Campbell said they are convinced the initiative violates California's constitutional ban on casino gambling. They also said the measure is an abuse of the initiative process because it does not meet the constitutional requirements for proposing and adopting initiatives.

"By requiring the Governor to sign compacts authorizing unlimited slot machine gambling and banked card games at more than 100 separate locations, this initiative would transform California into a casino gambling state like New Jersey or Nevada," Keene said.

"The largest casino in the world is the Indian-run Foxwoods casino in Connecticut, and California could have several of those in a few years," Campbell noted. "I think this is bad public policy, and it also violates the ban on casinos, which the voters put into the state constitution when they approved the Lottery."

The two Senators noted that courts have removed measures from the ballot under comparable circumstances.

Campbell is Chairman Emeritus of the California Manufacturers Association and Keene is professor of government at Sacramento State University.

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