California Indians take casino fight to Washington

Mark D. Preston

Wednesday, June 10, 1998 | 11:17 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- A group of California Indian tribal leaders vilified their governor as well as Las Vegas gaming lobbyists Tuesday, saying both are trying to shut down a vital source of revenue for some tribes.

The 125 Indian leaders representing 30 Golden State tribes asked California Democratic Reps. George E. Brown and Bob Filner for assistance in their dispute with Gov. Pete Wilson over his "restrictive" gaming compact during a Capitol Hill briefing.

The Indian leaders said gaming revenue has allowed their tribes to climb out of poverty and improve the economic viability of surrounding communities by creating jobs and reducing welfare dependence.

Both congressmen pledged to do whatever they could to help the tribes.

Today the group will meet with Attorney General Janet Reno to ask her for similar support.

Wilson wants all of California's tribes to abide by a compact signed by the Pala Band of Mission Indians that limits the number of video gaming machines they may operate to 199. The compact has provisions to allow tribes to expand the number of machines they may operate to 975, but gaming tribes would have to lease each additional machine from non-gaming tribes at $5,000 apiece.

Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988 requiring tribes and states to negotiate compacts to govern casino-style gaming. Tribal leaders said Wilson has not negotiated with them in good faith for a fair compact.

"Gov. Pete Wilson's unwillingness to sit down with us and negotiate a compact with all the tribes has created a misperception that Indian tribes are law breakers," Richard Milanovich, of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, said. The tribal leaders said powerful Las Vegas gaming lobbyists and the Pala tribe are the only two groups supporting the compact and pushing a bill in the California Legislature that would require other tribes to abide by it.

"While Las Vegas attorneys are seen regularly in the halls of the (California state) Capitol supporting the Pala compact, with the exception of the Pala tribe, the only other group supporting the Pala compact is Las Vegas," Ken Ramirez, of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, said.

"There is a unique ingredient, that of another state with competing interests in gambling -- need I say this state is Nevada -- using its significant political resources and power to derail Indian gaming," Mark A. Macarro, of the Pechanga Band of Luesino Indians, said.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, did not attend the briefing but defended the California governor late Tuesday when he heard the tribal leaders' accusations.

"All Gov. Wilson is trying to do is follow the Indian Gaming Control Act," Reid said. "What the (tribal leaders) want is unrestricted, uncontrolled gaming that is not taxed. It is illegal."

In November, Californians will vote on the Californian Indian Self-Reliance Initiative, a measure that would allow gaming tribes to maintain the casino status quo.

Today's meeting with Reno is the first the attorney general has granted since the Justice Department began legal proceedings in May against California gaming tribes who refused to sign the compact. Those tribes were told either to sign or to turn off their machines until another compact was negotiated with Wilson.