For the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA), late fall and early winter are both a time of looking back on achievements of the past year and planning for the year ahead, and there is much for us to plan!
We are holding meetings touching on a range of subjects and working on bill language, which we hope to see in next year’s legislative session. We are also busy planning for the Western Indian Gaming Conference (WIGC) coming up on Feb. 24 through Feb. 27 at the Pechanga Resort Casino. More on that in a bit.
A few words first, however, to wrap up the previous year. In my last column, I reported that CNIGA priority bill SB 549, authored by Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), the Tribal Declaratory Relief Act, was awaiting a vote before the California Assembly. This bill gives tribes standing in state court that they previously lacked as sovereign governments. It allows tribes to file a one-time lawsuit by April 1 to ultimately rule on whether California’s commercial card rooms are offering illegal games.
I am pleased to report that the bill overcame a large commercial card room lobbying assault and sailed through the Assembly on a 62-0 vote and then went to the Senate to be concurred in. It then passed there on the last day of the legislative session by a comfortable 32-2 margin. It was then signed into law by Gov. Newsom on Sep. 28.
It cannot be overstated how important this legislation is to CNIGA. Tribes have been sounding the alarm bell for more than a decade that commercial card rooms were offering certain games that violated rights exclusively given to tribes in the California Constitution. For various reasons, tribal efforts were stymied through state governmental institutions. However, this bill now puts those questions before the courts in the new year to adjudicate and settle the issue once and for all.
Additionally, as reported previously, CNIGA takes positions on specific non-gaming bills when requested by our members. This session, two CNIGA-supported non-gaming bills were also signed into law. They are:
- AB 3017, authored by Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D-Santa Barbara), seeks to build upon the state’s current practice of offering advanced payments by providing tribal governments with the opportunity to receive up to 25% of state contracts and grants upfront.
- AB 1863, authored by Assemblymember James Ramos (D-Highland), would make improvements to the Feather Alert legislation, a notification system for missing and endangered indigenous persons in California.
Looking into the new year, we are excited to return to the Pechanga Resort Casino for our 28th annual Western Indian Gaming Conference and tradeshow, which, as I noted, will be held Feb. 24 through Feb. 27. Every year, the WIGC attracts hundreds of attendees. Last year, the event attracted over 600 tribal leaders, regulators, industry professionals, and policy experts.
The WIGC has proven to be one of the most durable and informative conferences in Indian Country. Its opening session features the annual State of the Tribal Nations address, typically delivered by the chairman of the CNIGA, the organization that has sponsored the event since its inception.
After the general session, which usually features a plenary panel of general interest, the next few days feature a series of breakout panels divided into five tracks. These panels represent a wide range of carefully curated topics and feature experts in tribal government, casino operations and security, regulation, finance and business development, and law. Of the last subject area, the seminars, pending state bar approval, count toward yearly Minimum Continuing Legal Education requirements for attorneys in California.
The WIGC also honors both tribal and industry leaders with a special awards luncheon held every year at the conference. The awards are the Anna Sandoval Leadership Award and the Pauline Murillo Industry Leader Award, named for California tribal figures well-known for their work in asserting tribal sovereign rights and improving the lives of their respective tribes.
The tradeshow is also a major feature of the WIGC and was expanded last year. This year, it will feature 100 booths where companies can show off the latest wares and services. For more details on this year’s conference, or if you are interested in participating, visit the CNIGA website at https://cniga.com/wigc/.
Additionally, CNIGA is looking ahead and meeting with tribes from both within and outside the organization on other upcoming issues. CNIGA continues to have strong engagement and leadership during its bi-monthly meetings and other statewide gatherings, such as the All Tribes meeting that took place in November.
CNIGA remains committed and diligent in multi-faceted discussions involving a multitude of priority issues, including increasing disbursements to the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund (RSTF) recipients, which include all eligible California federally recognized tribes. CNIGA’s goal is to introduce legislation for an increase in the new year.
Also, a new economic impact study on the fiscal effects of tribal gaming in California, sponsored by CNIGA, is in the midst of being completed with some exciting results that we look forward to sharing in our next update. More on that next time. Stay tuned.
