CA's SB 406 Poised to Strip Rights of Californians in Favor of Indian Tribes, No Matter HOW Corrupt

Stand up for California's Cheryl Schmit has voiced opposition to a bill that has recently passed the California Senate., SB 406 that will give Tribal Courts the ability to render judgement on CA citizens.  It could be beneficial, to tribes and may be good to all if the bill were looking to accomplish that.

In a Letter to CA State Senator Noreen Evans

This legislation as written provides for accepting and entering a tribal money judgment based on timely
notification and the 4 limited criteria for respondent objection. If a tribe presents to State Superior Court a tribal court money judgment, the respondent should have the right to appeal the judgment. The Tribe in presenting its money judgment to the court must consider and accept presentation of the tribal court money judgment to the court as a waiver of its sovereign immunity to suit.
It is not unreasonable for the State of California to make specific requirements that tribal courts must meet in order to meet state court principles of comity in civil cases. Here again, it is the responsibility of the State Legislature to create law and establish standards. SB 406 provides inadequate standards. There are 567 tribes across the nation. Some are self-government tribes, some are organized under the Indian Reorganization Act and others are Non-Indian Re-organization Act tribes and some are treaty tribes. Each type of tribal government has a constitution that mayor may not provide for a tribal court. The language of this bill does not identify an entity or give guidance to the court for this type of verification.

This bill has passed the Senate...if you want fairness for CA citizens, you'd better act fast.

SIGNATURES SOUGHT TO KEEP NORTH FORK RANCHERIA FROM GETTING A JERRY BROWN APPROVED CASINO

Keep Vegas-Style Casinos Out of Neighborhoods announced July 28 that it has established a campaign committee with California Secretary of State Kamala Harris and will immediately begin collecting signatures for a referendum to stop the the North Fork Mono Rancheria from building its proposed casino on Highway 99 near Madera, and similar future proposals.

According to a press release from Stand Up for California, an organization that serves as a casino watchdog in the state and has opposed the casino project, the referendum seeks to uphold the will of the California electorate by limiting Indian gaming to originally restored Indian land.

The campaign needs 504,760 signatures by Oct. 1 in order to qualify for the next state general election in November 2014, and construction of the casino would be delayed until after the election.

In June the California legislature dramatically expanded the scope of Las Vegas-style casinos in California by authorizing – for the first time ever – a tribe with existing land eligible for gaming in the Sierra Mountains to build a Vegas-style casino on more lucrative land in the Central Valley.

"This campaign is about upholding the will of California voters who approved Indian gaming to help support poverty-stricken Indian tribes on their restored reservations, not to line the pockets of Las Vegas casino operators," said Cheryl Schmit, director of Stand Up for California. "When Indian gaming was authorized by the voters, voters were assured that Vegas-style casinos would not be popping up in neighborhoods. This is the time to stop the proliferation of casino shopping backed by tribes with fringe connections to the land and big Las Vegas casino operators. Now, ignoring the promise to voters that these off-reservation projects would never happen, the North Fork tribe and Station Casinos are only concerned about getting rich and not the significant impacts this project will have on California."

Cheryl Schmit of Stand Up for California Files Referendum Against Approval of North Fork Rancheria; If Chukchansi had ALL their Tribal Members back, they'd have a larger opposing force.

Opponents of a Madera County Indian casino have lost with the Legislature but are hoping they can win with California voters.

Cheryl Schmit, director of the gambling watchdog group Stand Up for California, filed a referendum with the Attorney General's Office today that seeks to reverse lawmakers' approval of a casino for the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians. The casino is more controversial than most in Indian country because it would be built along Highway 99, more than 35 miles from the mountainous village where tribal members live.

Opponents consider the project an "off reservation" casino, and say approval will set a precedent for similar developments around the state near freeways and urban communities. Supporters say the North Fork tribe historically migrated between the casino land on the Valley floor and the tribe's current home in the mountains near Yosemite, and that few other tribes have a similar situation.

Gov. Jerry Brown supports the project as an economic development opportunity for the impoverished tribe, and labor unions lobbied hard for it. Many other gambling tribes oppose the casino because it would create competition for their business.

Lawmakers narrowly ratified the North Fork compact last month and the governor signed it last week.

For Schmit's referendum overturning the compact to reach the 2014 ballot, her group must gather 504,760 voter signatures in 90 days.  

I bet Chukchansi will get their people out trying to get signatures.  IMAGINE if they had ALL their tribal members back in the tribe, what they could do?  Now, their shrinking tribe has little manpower for an issue like this

CA AG Kamala Harris Appealing Land into Trust action in Porterville.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris and the local Coalition of Retailers have both appealed the decision by the Bureau of Indian Affairs placing 40 acres of land near the Porterville Airport into trust.

The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs approved the Tule River Indian Tribe’s application on Jan. 4.

Once into trust, the 40 acres of land is converted from private title to federal title and vested to the United States of America. The land is then placed under the control of the tribal government with the U.S. government acting as fiduciary. The land also becomes exempt from state and local government taxes and local land use regulations, something several local business owners feared due to potential unfair competition.  Recall that Pechanga got 700 acres given to them because they claimed it was culturally sensitive land.   Uh, it's now a golf course.

Now, however, the placing of that land into trust is in limbo as the appeal process moves forward.

According to Cheryl Schmit, director of Stand Up for California, the appeal goes to the Interior Board of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. No date has been set for the appeals to be heard. And, that board’s decision could be litigated.

“This could go on for a number of years,” said Schmit, calling the state’s appeal significant. “I’m really happy with his (Gov. Jerry Brown’s) position. He recognizes the impact that the fee of trust process has on the state,” she said

Indian Gaming, BIA, Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians