Indian Gaming

under federal law the state can't tax or otherwise require indian tribes to give it money but it can negotiate with them for fees in exchange for the right to have gambling after a voter approved measure gave tribes the exclusive right to slot machines and other high stakes gaming revenue davis signed contacts with a little over half of the states a hundred and ten times not a healthy balance or a consultant to republican politicians and indian tribes says these agreements can be re negotiated this year we were very are or what you're really knew what we were writing at one of the new government will agree ballots here says that will be of interest to a small number of tribes that are doing so well they could profit for more than two thousand slot machines the current limit the los angeles times reports if these tribes are willing to pay something between fifteen and thirty

percent of profits on new slot machines governor schwarzenegger could get a five hundred million dollars he wants that would be about ten percent of current casino profit and around three percent of the state's projected budget deficit for this year in the longer term whittier law school professor i nelson rose says the state can also try to get better deals when it negotiates with tribes that don't currently have gaming that have not yet find contacts and although legally the governor required to give the tribe the exact same deal which is obviously very favorable to the navajo favorable to the faith abu ghraib is that showed the american under the current complex negotiated by davis gaming tribes don't give money to the state local governments share money from a fund paid for by tribes cheryl smith who opposes gaming says it's only twenty three million dollars a year you know governments

have the ability to promote development without mitigating the car to the government for infrastructure for a roadway or a groundwater for sewage disposal for law enforcement for fire or ambulance schlitt heads a coalition called stand up for california she says a survey of just eight counties came up with two hundred million dollars in onetime casino related cost and millions more in ongoing expenses she says some of these cost and environmental problems could be addressed if tribes were required to follow the california environmental quality act tribal consultant fred ballots are says negotiators are currently discussing environmental and infrastructure issues but tribes won't agree to being subject to state laws no problem with the pride i think a republican who were deprived have played be very different and have provided as a matter of course

for local infrastructure and improvements of a bridge between that had been up there is my guess is that the governor and a whole lot of thinking point because the government's revenue what they also influence negotiations it at least three initiatives that could be on the november ballot stand up for california has won the agua kelly and they tried in palm springs has another that would trade nearly nine percent of gaming revenues for more slots and new games such as with that but many tribes are supporting this initiative the state's card rooms and racetracks have a third measure it would end the indian monopoly on slots if tribes didn't give the state twenty five percent of their casino profits professor nelson rose who's an advisor to the card rooms says the ballot measure should push tribes to cut a deal before november it'll go on a publicity the governor will come out again for all the danger that if they don't reveal the winner could very easily come out in favor of faith initiative for the current

club or the standard for california initiative and hilarity you feel great about the past the governor is also eager for a deal before november he's penciled that five hundred million dollars in gaming money into his proposed budget bill society all at nine point three kpcc