SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced that he has signed tribal-state gaming compacts between the State of California and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the Jamul Indian Village, the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, as well as an amendment to the current tribal-state gaming compact with the Yurok Tribe.
The terms of the new compacts regarding licensing, compliance enforcement, mitigation of off-reservation impacts and protections for patrons and employees are consistent with recent compacts. The regulatory provisions reflect the professionalism of the tribes’ regulators and their constructive relationship with state gaming regulators. The new compacts strengthen government-to-government relations at the local level by providing incentives for tribal funding to local jurisdictions for fire, emergency medical services, law enforcement, public transit, infrastructure improvements, education and other essential services. They also promote tribal investments that provide a mutual benefit to the tribe and the local community. These investments may include renewable energy, recycling or water conservation projects, non-gaming-related economic development and health care facilities.
Two of the compacts – Pechanga and Yocha Dehe – establish the new California Native American Education and Scholarship Fund. This fund recognizes that investment in educational programs and opportunities is essential to the overall health and welfare of all Californians, and is inspired by the belief that a college education not only improves the quality of an individual’s life but also engenders broad social, economic and political benefits. It is intended to ensure that Native American youth from tribes without substantial gaming revenue have the financial support to pursue and obtain undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. Each of the new compacts also provides significant additional revenue to the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund, which distributes gaming revenue to non-gaming and limited gaming tribes so that the economic benefits of gaming reach all tribal governments within California.
The compact with Agua Caliente reflects the unique relationship between the tribe and Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City and creates a framework within which the tribe can make significant investments that will generate jobs and stimulate additional economic growth in each of those communities.
The compact with the Jamul Indian Village recognizes that the tribe has committed to support projects that benefit local residents, ranging from transportation infrastructure improvements to funding for enhanced fire services, as the tribe makes the transition from a recipient of Revenue Sharing Trust Fund money to a contributing tribe.
The new Pechanga compact will make the tribe one of the largest contributors to funds – including the new California Native American Education and Scholarship Fund and the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund – which support other tribal governments and their members. In addition, the compact creates a new Local Community Credit Fund that will serve as a vehicle for investments in projects that benefit the tribe and the local community.
The compact with Yocha Dehe affirms the tribe’s commitment to the residents of Yolo County and is intended to enable the tribal government to invest in worthy causes, such as providing needed funding, economic development and infrastructure for tribal and non-tribal governments; scholarships for Native American people and funding for schools dedicated to Native American education; capital to help local governments establish the machinery needed to protect cultural resources; and housing and health care benefits for those in need.
The amendment to the compact with the Yurok Tribe conforms the provisions of its 2006 compact regarding workers’ compensation to those of more recent compacts.
Copies of the compacts can be found here: Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Compact; Jamul Indian Village Compact; Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians Compact; Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation Compact; Yurok Tribe Compact Amendment.