U.S. Department of the Interior Shows Support for Feinstein Bill; Contra Costa
County Expected to Follow Suit
SAN PABLO, Calif., April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite repeated attempts by
backers to pacify the opposition, the proposed expansion of the Casino San
Pablo is drawing new detractors today.
In Washington D.C. this morning, Chairman John McCain convened the Senate
Committee on Indian Affairs to consider legislation by Dianne Feinstein that
would amend the reservation status of the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians who have
proposed building a 2,500 slot machine casino in San Pablo.
At that hearing, George Skibine, an acting deputy assistant secretary at
the U.S. Department of the Interior, stated that the Department does not
object to Feinstein's legislation. Skibine, in remarks prepared for the
committee, stated that:
It is inappropriate to waive the requirements of Section 20 of IGRA for
any particular tribe. Section 20 imposes reasonable restrictions on the right
of Indian tribes to engage in gaming activities on off-reservation lands ...
The Department supports the process of consultation and cooperation between
Indian tribes and affected local communities and sees no reason to exempt any
tribe from this process.
The legislation introduced by Senator Feinstein would require the Lytton
Band to go through the requirements outlined by Section 20 of the Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
Also today, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is expected to
pass a resolution supporting the Feinstein bill. The County is also expected
to pass resolutions against any casino in Contra Costa County and in support
of State legislation introduced by Assemblymember Joe Nation that would place
a moratorium on new tribal casinos in California.
Tonight, the Orinda City Council is expected to pass a resolution against
the expansion of the Casino San Pablo. Orinda city officials are particularly
concerned about traffic impacts on their community.
"Elected officials on the local, state, and federal level agree, a Las
Vegas-style casino in San Pablo is bad for the East Bay and would be a bad
precedent for California," stated Dean Marshall, co-Chair of the East Bay
Coalition Against Urban Casinos. "A casino in San Pablo would create a traffic
nightmare, irreparably harm the social fabric of our community, while damaging
the local economy."
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SOURCE East Bay Coalition Against Urban Casinos
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CONTACT:
Alex Shulman, +1-510-343-4444, for East Bay
Coalition Against Urban Casinos
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