A bill that makes it harder for tribes to open casinos is slowly dying in the California Legislature.

ACR 56 bars the state governor from entering into Class III gaming compacts unless the gaming site at issue is already in trust. It would also require local support for casino projects.

Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D) thought his bill was "noncontroversial." But other lawmakers objected on procedural and substantive grounds, raising questions about the way it has been handled in the Legislature and whether it interferes with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

"He’s trying to create a situation where it’s impossible for Indians to build,” Greg Sarris, the chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, told Capitol Weekly. “Huffman can bluff some of the public some of the time, but he’s not able to bluff the Legislature."

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Huffman rolls snake-eyes in GO with gaming resolution (Capitol Weekly 9/3)