California tribes worried about Senate candidate's gaming record

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

U.S. Senate candidate Kamala Harris (D) on the campaign trail. Photo from Facebook

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California's politically connected tribes are mostly staying on the sidelines in this year's U.S. Senate election.

The reason is that the leading candidate has a somewhat negative record on Indian gaming. As the state's attorney general, tribes say Democrat Kamala Harris failed to protect the exclusivity promised in their Class III gaming compacts by cracking down on non-Indian gaming and fantasy sports wagers.

“She’s just failed to take positions on some critical issues … and that causes alarm,” Steve Stallings, the chairman of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, told The Los Angeles Times. “Unfortunately, what it looks like is politics.”

As attorney general, Harris opposed at least 15 tribal land-into-trust applications, Dave Palermo reported for Pechanga.net in February 2014. Her office also tried to stop the Big Lagoon Rancheria from opening a casino on land that was placed in trust more than two decades ago.

Harris ended up losing the closely-watched case that drew alarms across Indian Country. But her reputation was still tarnished.

"My guys are like, let’s just sit out of it,” one tribal lobbyist told the Times.

Harris will face Democrat Loretta Sanchez, a member of Congress, in November. Sanchez had to apologize last year for making insensitive comments about Native Americans.

Get the Story:
California tribes give U.S. Senate race the cold shoulder (The Los Angeles Times 6/22) $P En Banc 9th Circuit Decisions:
Big Lagoon Rancheria v. California (July 8, 2015)
Big Lagoon Rancheria v. California (June 4, 2015)

Earlier 9th Circuit Decision:
Big Lagoon Rancheria v. California (January 21, 2014)