Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation - Press Room : Current News

Senate Bill 175 Passes in California State Senate
State Assembly will Consider Bill to Ratify Compact
for Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation

El Cajon, CA (April 19, 2007) The California State Senate passed SB 175, to ratify the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nations amended Tribal Gaming Compact, by a vote of 22-10. The bill is now moving to the California State Assembly for approval and will next be heard in the Assembly Committee on Governmental Organization.

Sycuan conveys a special thank you to Senator Denise Ducheny for carrying the bill. Additional appreciation is extended to Senate President pro Tem Don Perata and Senator Dick Ackerman for their leadership in moving SB 175 through the Senate.

Sycuan is pleased and honored to receive the support of the California State Senate, said Daniel Tucker, Sycuan Tribal Chairman. Their approval reinforces the benefits the Compact provides for the State of California and our local communities.

Sycuans amended Compact significantly strengthens environmental protections for any new Class III gaming-related projects or activities the Tribe may start and dramatically increases the amount of revenue that the State's General Fund would receive from Sycuan.

The amended Compact would authorize Sycuan to increase the number of Class III machines from 2,000 to 5,000 and extends the term of the compact from the year 2022 to 2030.

In exchange, Sycuan has agreed to a number of significant modifications to its existing 1999 compact, including:

• Stronger environmental and government services protections through the requirement of a binding mitigation agreement with the County;

• Clarification of employee patron protections;

• Neutral, binding arbitration of personal injury claims and customer complaints;

• More detailed building and life safety code protections for customers
and employees;

• Increased liability insurance coverage for tort claims and enhanced protections;

• Requires payment by the Tribe to the state of an annual sum of $20 million,
for the existing 2,000 machines and an additional 15 percent of net win on any new machines; and

• Increases Sycuans payment for non-gaming tribes to $3 million per year.

Once ratified by the State Assembly, the amended Compact must be approved by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

Governor Schwarzenegger Urges Assembly to Adopt Compact
To read the complete statement issued by the Governor, click here: Governor Schwarzenegger Issues Statement Regarding
Senate Approval of Tribal Gaming Compacts

Sycuan Appreciates Support of Friends and Neighbors

Sycuan would like to thank everyone who expressed their support for the amended Compact by authoring a letter to Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez or by adding their name to our list of supporters. Todays victory was an important step forward in obtaining approval from both sides of the State legislature and it could not have been done without your continued support.

Our list is growing every day, if you havent already done so, please visit our Web site at www.sycuancompact.com and add your name to our supporters list. Additionally, there is a sample letter on the Web site that we urge you to send to Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Assemblyman Alberto Torrico in order to demonstrate to our elected officials that we have not only their support, but that of our neighbors.

To sign up as a supporter or view letters from other supporters, click on the links below.

		CONTACTS:

		Adam Day Sycuan 619-994-4855