Turtle Talk

From a Picayune Rancheria press release:

Sacramento – In a decision with wide-ranging ramifications for California’s budget woes, the Honorable  Frank C. Damrell, Jr., Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, entered final judgment today that Indian tribes conducting gaming in California are entitled to an additional 10,549 slot machines under their compacts with the state. Chukchansi Tribal Chair, Morris Reid stated, “This will allow the 1999 Compacted Indian tribes to provide an additional $30 million to the state of California. We are thankful the state will now have millions more to pay for programs and the tribes will be able to provide better support for their members.” The tribes were denied these gaming devices for a decade due to the state’s miscalculation of formulas under the compacts. The decision orders the State of California to undertake a draw within 45 days to assign the gaming devices to the various tribes gaming in California.

Morris Reid, Tribal Chair of plaintiff Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, commented that, “The State and tribes lost millions of dollars the past decade that they can never get back due to the state’s miscalculation of the number of gaming machines available under the compacts, but the federal court’s decision wisely corrects this going forward. This is a great win for all of Indian Country.”