Agua Caliente Tribe's gaming initiative certified

Friday, March 12, 2004  

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians can begin collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that would subject willing tribes to revenue-sharing in exchange for expanded gaming.

The tribe is proposing that tribal gaming revenues be taxed by the state at a rate of 8.84 percent, the same tax applied to corporations. Tribes would then be able to offer more slot machines under compacts that don't expire.

The tribe has to collect 598,105 qualified signatures, according to The Palm Springs Desert Sun. Rival groups are collecting signatures for a petition to force tribes to accept a 25 percent revenue-sharing rate or lose their slot machine monopoly. Another petition seeks to offset tribal gaming impacts on local governments.

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State lets tribe seek gambling initiative (The Palm Springs Desert Sun 3/12)