Tribal gaming.

Existing federal law, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, provides for the negotiation and execution of tribal-state gaming compacts for the purpose of authorizing certain types of gaming on Indian lands within a state. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to negotiate and conclude compacts, subject to ratification by the Legislature. Existing law expressly ratifies a number of tribal-state gaming compacts, and amendments of tribal-state gaming compacts, between the State of California and specified Indian tribes. This bill would ratify the tribal-state gaming compact entered into between the State of California and the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, executed on September 2, 2009. The bill would require that related revenue contributions be deposited into the General Fund, except as specified, and would also provide that, in deference to tribal sovereignty, certain actions may not be deemed projects for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.