"The stunning expansion of Indian gaming across the nation will finally come under the federal microscope today when a Senate committee holds a hearing on a congressional loophole that could have allowed a huge casino to be built in San Pablo.

It's about time.

Legislation proposed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., attempts to undo a glaring mistake by another member of the California delegation that allowed the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians to avoid rigorous federal and state-approved guidelines on Indian casinos. Feinstein's bill, S113, comes up for a hearing at the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs today, an important first step in trying to rein in the runaway growth of Indian gambling in California and the rest of the country."

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Editorial: Shed some light on a bad deal (The San Francisco Chronicle 4/5)