Bill
Troubles Casino Lobbyists
Indian casino lobbyists on Wednesday
expressed concern about a bill that would prohibit
tribes from crossing state borders to purchase
land for their gambling businesses.
Rep.
Richard Pombo, R-Calif., who is chairman of
the House Resources Committee, introduced the
bill to reduce off-reservation gambling, or
reservation shopping -- a controversial trend
among tribes seeking more lucrative markets
for their casinos.
"(Off-reservation
gambling) has severely damaged the public image
of Indian gaming, causing the public focus to
shift away from the good things that gaming
has done for tribes," Pombo said.
Sen.
John McCain, R-Ariz., is considering similar
legislation in the Senate.
Tribes
are divided on off-reservation gambling, according
to Deron Marquez, chairman of the San Manuel
Band of Mission Indians, which operates a casino
near Highland, Calif.
"Often
the lands sought for acquisition are within
the ancestral homelands of other tribes, leading
to enormous tensions between the tribes,"
Marquez told the committee.
Cheryle
Kennedy, chairwoman of the Confederated Tribes
of the Grand Ronde, said plans by two neighboring
tribes to open off-reservation casinos near
Portland, Ore., could have a "devastating"
effect on her tribe, which operates the state's
largest and most profitable casino.
But
Ernie Stevens Jr., chairman of the National
Indian Gaming Association -- the chief lobbying
arm for tribal casinos -- said the Indian Gaming
Regulatory Act of 1988 should not be amended
to curtail off-reservation gambling.
Tribal
gambling officials are reluctant to tinker with
the act, which has allowed their industry to
mushroom from $500 million in gross revenues
in 1988 to $19.4 billion last year.
"(IGRA)
should remain untouched," Stevens told
the committee.
Stevens
noted only three off-reservation casino projects
have opened since the act was passed. Congress
has approved a tribal land claim for a fourth
casino in New York.
Stevens
urged Pombo to allow the Department of Interior
to finish work on regulations to control off-reservation
gambling.
Mark
Van Norman, the Indian gaming association's
executive director, complained about a provision
in Pombo's bill that would require tribes to
negotiate with local governments before opening
casinos.
"We
feel that the state can adequately represent
the local governments because the state is the
sovereign and the local governments are subdivisions,"
Van Norman said.
Rep.
Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said the 1988 law requires
tribes to consult with local officials within
a 10-mile radius of an Indian casino. Gibbons
suggested the 10-mile radius should be extended
to the borders of the state where the casino
is located.
Van
Norman said such an extension would be excessive.
"As
a practical matter, the (interior) secretary
has never moved forward (with an Indian casino)
where there was not support of the local government,"
Van Norman said.
Rep.
Ron Kind, D-Wis., said Pombo's bill would give
federal, state and local officials veto power
over Indian gambling.
Kind
said many tribes have been displaced and should
not be barred from pursuing land once owned
by their ancestors.
Van
Norman agreed, comparing the removal of tribes
in the 19th century from their native lands
to "ethnic cleansing."
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