Sen. Reid reportedly backs restriction to off-reservation gaming

Friday, December 10, 2010  

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada), the Senate majority leader, is reportedly supporting a controversial amendment that would make it extremely difficult for tribes to engage in gaming on newly acquired lands.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), the chair of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, plans to offer the amendment. She says it will stop "reservation shopping" in California but tribes nationwide are worried about the impact.

"She has her eye on the Bay Area, but (her plan) would grotesquely and adversely affect many tribes across the country," attorney Judith Shapiro told The Contra Costa Times. "There's a lot of power in play right now."

Feinstein wants to bring up her amendment as part of the fix to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar. The House passed the fix on Wednesday but did not address gaming.

Get the Story:
Feinstein casino plan draws anger from tribes (The Contra Costa Times 12/10)

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