Coalition to Protect California’s Budget & Economy
Formed to Protect Fair Share Indian Gaming Agreements

SACRAMENTO – A new coalition, called the Coalition to Protect California’s Budget & Economy, has been formed to support the state-tribal Indian gaming agreements with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians; the Morongo Band of Mission Indians; the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians; and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.

The Coalition will work to educate voters about the importance of supporting the gaming agreements, which were negotiated by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and ratified by bi-partisan majorities in both houses in the California State Legislature.

The agreements require the tribes to pay the state a much higher percentage of their net gaming revenues (up to 25%) into the state General Fund. This will provide the state with hundreds of millions of dollars per year, and billions over the next two decades, to help pay for schools, roads and bridges, public safety and health care –- without raising taxes or increasing debt.

The agreements allow the tribes to have 3,000 to 5,500 additional slot machines on existing tribal lands in Riverside and San Diego Counties. This will create thousands of new jobs at their gaming facilities.

The agreements also strengthen protections for the local environment, casino workers and surrounding communities.

The agreements were supported during the legislative process by a broad array of community leaders, non-profit organizations, labor groups, the business community, local governments, police, firefighters, teachers and elected officials.

An effort to repeal the agreements is now being bankrolled by a few special interests that include a big developer, two wealthy gaming tribes that want to hold down competition, and one labor union. The newly-formed Coalition to Protect California’s Budget & Economy will coordinate efforts to support the agreements and oppose the special interest-backed effort to repeal them.

For more information, please visit our website at www.YESforCalifornia.com.

Media with additional inquiries about the Coalition to Protect California’s Budget & Economy can contact Roger Salazar at (916) 444-8897.