Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has finally shown his cards.
The governor's office issued a proclamation last week laying out a policy on Indian gaming that formalizes his opposition to urban gambling and should slow down the "reservation shopping" that could threaten to bring Las Vegas-style gambling to the Bay Area, possibly even Solano County.
The governor said he will oppose proposals for tribal land acquisitions in urban areas when the plan is to use the land for casinos.
The one exception is an agreement with the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians in San Pablo with whom he has already reached an operating agreement. But that could change, too, if Sen. Dianne Feinstein manages to win approval from Congress for reversing the special legislative provision that enabled the Lytton Band to place the land in trust.
If Sen. Feinstein's measure passes, the governor could come out against the Casino San Pablo.
In any case, the governor's proclamation will help stop three other tribes from buying land to establish two casinos in Richmond and one in Oakland. Both the Guidiville and Scotts Valley bands of Pomo Indians want to build in Richmond while the Lower Lake Rancheria-Koi Nation has its eyes set on a 35-acre tract near Oakland International Airport.
At one point, sites in Suisun Valley and Vallejo were under consideration by Indian tribes.
Gov. Schwarzenegger has voiced opposition to urban gambling in the past, but said he felt compelled to approve the Lytton compact because the land had been placed in federal trust for the tribe.
But Rep. George Miller, D-Solano, who authored the provision that gave the Lyttons the land, has since changed his mind, saying the tribe's plan was too large.
Gov. Schwarzenegger says he'll grant "gubernatorial concurrence" with future gaming proposals only when the land isn't in an urban area, if the host city supports the proposal and it can be demonstrated that adjacent municipalities also support it.
He even recommended local advisory votes, which seems to be a good idea. And, he said the financial health of the state budget won't determine such decisions.
The governor's proclamation is the first time since Indian gambling was approved by voters in 2000 that a state official has outlined anything resembling a policy or rules and regulations to govern the spread of Indian gaming.
Until now, there have been no state guidelines for locating casinos and controlling their spread off established reservations.
Locating casinos in urban areas was not the intent of the original ballot measures. That's the "reservation shopping" Feinstein has opposed.
We are glad the governor has finally put his preferences on paper. It is a step in the right direction.
We trust that he and the Legislature will further define and refine regulations for Indian gaming in California.