Assembly Standing Committee on Governmental Organization

Thank you. Hi there. Sorry if you had trouble on the other side. Yes. I'll go ahead and call the meeting to order at where is the clock?

At 02:04PM. Thank you very much for being here today. We've had several as you all know, the last few weeks of session are crazy, so thank you for moving the time up. We were supposed to start at 01:30, but we moved it till two. I appreciate the, you know, the flexibility.

And with that, the the the the geo committee is called to order. I'm Assembly member Blanca Rubio, Chair of the Assembly committee and governmental organizations, and I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to today's informational hearing. The seven tribal state gaming compacts before us today were executed between governor Newsom on behalf of the state of California and each federally recognized tribe. Today, we will hear from the principal architects of the compacts, the governor's office, and the tribes themselves.

These negotiated compacts are the culmination of a lengthy negotiation process, compromises, and careful consideration of requirements under the in Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

I am pleased to see that the terms of the two new compacts mirror many of the recent compacts that have come before the committee in the area of regulatory oversight, labor, and health and safety standards. Additionally, four compacts on of the amended variety have been revised to align with the more recent agreements, thereby thereby mitigating the risk of further litigation in light of the ninth circuit's decision in the chicken Rancheria ranch Rancheria versus the state of California.

I just wanna remind all interested parties that no formal vote will be taken today. Today's hearing is for the committee to be briefed on the contents of each compact as they cannot be amended by the legislature. AB 1579 Valencia, AB 2173 Wallace, SB 542 LeMond, and SB 1235 Rubio are the ratification bills for these seven compacts.

At at some point, these ratification bills will be taken up for consideration by the entire body on the Assembly floor. I would like to thank all of our witnesses in advance for taking the time out of their busy schedule to be with us today. We will first be briefed on the first amendment to the tribal state gaming compact between the state of California and the Pechanga Band of Indians. I want to welcome Matthew Lee, senior adviser for tribal negotiations for governor Newsom.

Mister Lee, welcome, and you may begin.

Thank you very much, madam Chair, and thank you so much for your patience. Sorry for the delay. Just to echo some of the remarks you made in setting the table, a common theme of many of the amendments that are going to come before this body today is that on one hand, since the Ninth Circuit's decision in chicken ranch that you mentioned, the state's ability to bargain for certain topics in tribal state gaming compacts consistent with federal law has been significantly restricted.

So we have been working to both to clean up our existing compacts in light of that new federal case law and also to make sure that we are being thoughtful in prioritizing those issues that are most important and and most essential to protect the state's interests.

And on the other hand, you know, a a common theme of many of the amendments that this body will hear about today is that these are tribal governments that have maintained an excellent an excellent government to government relationship with the state, not just when it comes to tribal gaming, but across the board.

And we are working to make sure that our gaming compacts work for them, that this is a framework that our fellow governments are appropriately incentivized to stay in. And, of course, we want to maintain that collaborative productive relationship and to avoid or mitigate the risk of any future litigation. And so with that table sitting out of the way, when it comes to the Pechanga amendment specifically, the contours of that of that amendment, I think, will become familiar over the course of the afternoon.

It is a commitment not to sue over certain important revenue terms in that compact. That's the special distribution fund, which defrays the state's regulatory costs.

It's the revenue sharing trust fund, which redistributes gaming revenue from large gaming operations to small and non gaming tribes. And it's the the related tribal nation Grant Fund, which concerns the allocation of the of the RSTF surplus. In exchange, there are some new flexibilities for Pechanga in the compact, an additional thousand gaming devices, and in particular, some new flexibility when it comes to certain forms of revenue sharing to support local government services.

And I think there's an important point here, which is, you you know, one of the ways in which I like to think the state has gotten better over time is we we have gotten I would hope we've gotten better about interacting with our fellow sovereigns, tribal governments as governments, and recognizing all of the good work that they can do as governments.

And in some of our older compacts, I think you see an assumption that the way for tribal governments to support public services, to support governmental services, is to help other governments do that.

When in fact, the truth is that many tribal governments can do it just as well themselves. You know, you have a tribal government like Pechanga that runs its own school, its own medical facility, its own fire department.

And we're very pleased to be able to reflect, in the compact, the fact that when it comes to support for local government services, of course, Pechanga should should get credit for government services that it provides in the exercise of of its own sovereignty, not just all of the support that it also gives to, you know, other fellow governments too.

Beyond that, some technical terms, some streamlining and updating mostly consistent with other more recent compacts, some cleanup of those terms that were an issue in chicken ranch in ways that are consistent with other amendments this body is seeing. Happy to unpack any of that further, but also happy to to hold for any questions.

Thank you for that. So now that we heard from Matthew, yes. I would like to bring up a Mark Macarro, chairperson for Pechanga Band of Indians for his testimony. Welcome welcome, chairman.

Thank you. Thank you. It's on. Right?

Chairwoman Rubio and members of the committee, hello, Good afternoon. My name is Mark Macarro, and I'm the tribal chairman for the Pechanga Band of Indians in Temecula, and I've been the chairman for thirty one consecutive years since 1995. I've also have I also have the distinct privilege of currently being the president of the National Congress of American Indians based in Washington, DC. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this First Amendment to the 2016 Tribal State Compact.

Pechanga is located on a small vestige of our Aboriginal lands in Southwest County, Southwest Riverside County, in the Temecula Valley, and also, we include 80 acres that are in North San Diego County right along the county border.

Our reservation consists of nearly 10,000 acres, and we have over 2,285 tribal citizens, and we continue to grow. Members, I'm proud to say that this is the largest that our tribe has been since the human rights devastation of the Spanish mission period, which for us was 1798, with Mission San Luis Rey, both in terms of a massive 90% population loss, and loss of our tribal lands, our tribal territory, our land base, all within a generation.

Today, by contrast, we're able to live our culture and speak our language, a language that so many worked so hard to make disappear. And yet, we work to recover our culturally significant lands and to protect our sacred sites. Now this resilience is something that is fundamental.

The special special relationship that Pechanga and all federally recognized tribes hold within the US government and with the state of California. It's a relationship rooted in well established federal policy, and the Indian nations are distinct independent political entities retaining our original governance rights from time immemorial. We believe it is the fundamental obligation of each generation to cherish and protect these rights for our future generations.

Members, when we opened up our Pechanga Entertainment Center in 1995, we had a simple vision, to create jobs for our tribal members to generate revenues for fundamental and modest tribal programs like reliable and safe drinking water for our residents, basic health care, educational opportunities for our young, and cultural resources protection into the next generation. Our entertainment center opened in modular trailers with only 135 employees, but with a fervent desire to break the cycle of poverty which had long plagued our tribe.

Thanks to the guidance and the wisdom of our tribe and our elders, the loyalty and the hard work of our team members, and the friendship and support of our neighbors and community members, Pechanga today directly employs more than 4,600 Californians, which translates into a statewide economic impact of $1,300,000,000. Tribal gaming provides us important funding for critical governmental programs and essential services for our citizens including cultural resources protection, quality health care, environmental protection, water infrastructure, senior support programs, youth programs, scholarship funding, energy projects, and more.

Our commitment to the community extends beyond our borders, however. Our fully equipped Pechanga Fire Department is an active participant in the state of California master mutual aid system and is regularly dispatched on strike team assignments to wildfires throughout California and beyond. For example, on our on August 5, our battalion chief was dispatched to Washington state as part of the incident management team on the Sin Lohagan fire, which is only 30 miles from the Canadian border.

He's still on assignment there. On August 6, six days later, our first roll brush engine, PFD brush one, was dispatched on a strike team assignment to the I think it's a Gann fire that was in Calaveras County. They just demobilized from there in the last few days. And also, I've I've forget the name of the other fire. There were two fires in the region.

But the point is is that our our brush engine is is regularly, especially during fire season, so nearly year round, is is one of the first full engines that's on the list. That in strike team, as you know, includes four resource personnel as well as the apparatus. And together, those four that that vehicle with four staff, plus three others forms a strike team. In addition to that, though, I wanna point out that our our fire department personnel, Pechanga Fire Department, some of them are are trained USAR, that is urban search and rescue.

And they participate in California's task force six, which is a which is a regional component of the overarching FEMA USAR team sponsored by Riverside Fire Department. They have in this role, ours our fire personnel have deployed to major national disasters like Hurricane Maria, recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, which was in 2017. Also Hurricane Helene more recently in North Carolina in 2024. Fundamentally, we have developed a WASC-accredited Pre-K through five reservation school to revitalize our native language. It's a bilingual program.

Our support for education does not end, however, at the border. At the reservation border that is. Over the years, we've also donated over $7,000,000 to local high schools in our valley for scholarships, for the arts, athletics, academic programs such as AVID. And in total, we've donated over $40,000,000 to nonprofits and schools throughout Southern California. Members, this First Amendment to the compact reflects the mature and respectful government to government relationship between Pechanga and the state of California.

The amendment is best understood as a compact modernization measure that brings the compact into compliance with recent federal court rulings and federal regulations. Pursuant to the IGRA, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the amendment narrows the compact's focus to gaming related operations and clarifies how certain revenue sharing and community benefit provisions will work going forward. And it simplifies, repeals, or replaces several sections that are no longer consistent with applicable law or best best compacting practices.

And more importantly, it gives the tribe the future flexibility to add 1,000 additional gaming devices if economic conditions warrant. Should we exercise that flexibility, that, of course, would generate additional jobs and additional economic benefits for the entire region.

This compact amendment respects the Pechanga Band's sovereign rights. Importantly, the provisions of this new agreement reflect many of the progressive values Pechanga and the state of California share. Values that maintain our significant contribution to the revenue sharing trust and the tribal nation grant funds to support nongaming and geographically challenged tribes. This amendment allows us to build on the local community credit fund, which has proven an invaluable tool that has allowed us to fund fire protection services, police and law enforcement services, road improvements, and more.

We wish to thank governor Newsom, Matthew Lee, and the DOJ team for their respectful government to government engagement on this particular compact negotiation.

In closing, let us seize this opportunity to build on the progress that we have made together and strengthen our government to government relationship and and to do so for future generations. We respectfully ask for your support of this first amendment to the Pechanga Tribal State Compact, and I'm happy to answer any questions if you have any. Thank you very much.

Thank you for that. Anybody members of the audience, any public comment? Anybody wish to to come up and address body? And seeing none, any questions or comments from the committee? No?

Seems like it's going to go quite easy today. Thank you very much. There are no questions or comments. Thank you for the information, and appreciate you being here. And I know you have a a flight to catch, so safe travels when when you leave.

Thank you.

Much appreciation.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you for that. Okay. So next, we have, let's see, chairman, Grubbe from the Agua Caliente Band of Coahuila Indians, remotely testifying. Mister Lee, any comments on this compact?

Just to give you a brief overview, very similar to the last amendment, the Pechanga the Pechanga Amendment in the sense that this is another tribal government that has been an partner to the state across the board in in including, as the state has faced, more legal difficulty and higher litigation risk in a post chicken ranch environment. The amendment you'll see here contains that same promise not to sue over key revenue terms.

It likewise provides additional flexibility to the tribe in terms of gaming devices and extra 500 devices and gaming facilities. It restructures the tribe's contributions to that revenue sharing trust fund that shares money with limited gaming and non gaming tribes. This is a restructuring.

The short version is that it's a larger lump sum and a smaller per device variable payment. We don't anticipate that this will result in a net reduction, and it maintains the tribe's commitment to the RSTF. Some other more technical provisions that I'm happy to go over, but that's that's the basic shape of the amendment.

Thank you very much. If we can have chairman Grubbe online.

Yes, madam Chair. I'm here.

Oh, there we go. Hi there. There we go.

Hi. How are you doing?

Doing well.

Alright. Thank thank you. Thank you. Thank you, madam Chair and members of the committee. I'm Jeff Grube, chairman of the Band of Kooi Indians.

My tribe is a federally recognized Indian tribe located in Coachella Valley within the Riverside County. The tribal headquarters are located in Palm Springs. Large portions of the of the cities of Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, and Cathedral City are on our reservation, which includes about 34,000 acres set out in a checkerboard pattern. Our tribal government provides a wide variety of services and benefits to tribal members, including those related to health care, education, cultural preservation, and general welfare.

We continuously collaborate with other local governments and communities on public safety and infrastructure issues, as well as other projects and initiatives to address shared concerns.

We employ approximately 3,200 team members working with within gaming and non gaming tribal economic development ventures. And the tribe is one of the largest employers in the Coachella Valley. In addition to gaming properties, we operate two golf courses, multiple restaurants, an entertainment venue, other non gaming businesses, recreational areas open to the public, and we manage extensive real estate holdings for commercial and residential developments.

The tribe also operates the Agua Conte Museum and world class spa at CEHI within our newly constructed Cultural Plaza, which is an example of a great project that has that was a direct result of our 2016 compact negotiation. I'm pleased to be here as Agua Caliente seeks its legislature support to ratify the first amendment to the to the current tribal state compact between the state of California and my tribe.

The majority of the in amendments before you today are updates to align our compact with recent changes in the law that primarily come as a result of the ninth circuit's decision in the chicken ranch Rancheria versus California. Additionally, the tribe and the state uses amendment opportunity to simplify our revenue sharing obligations. This allows the path of growth for our gaming facilities and also preserves our longstanding commitment to support limited and non gaming tribes.

Working with governor Newsom, his senior adviser for tribal negotiations, Matthew Lee, and the attorney general's tribal compact advisors was a straightforward, efficient, and most importantly, a respectful process. I'd like to thank them for their work.

And thank you, madam Chair and members, for allowing me the opportunity to provide comments today. I'm looking forward to a legislative ratification of this first amendment. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Any public comment on this compact?

Our appreciation to the administration, the attorney general's office, and others for a really collaborative government to government process. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other members of the audience want to provide public comment? Anybody on the committee? Questions? Comments? No? Thank you very much. Chairman, thank you very much for your testimony. We are ready to proceed. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for that. Appreciate that. Okay. Next. Yes. We have the tribal state gaming compact between the state of California and the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe. Mr. Lee, if you wanna make your comments, and then we will have Shan Lewis, vice chairman for Fort Mojave Indian Tribe.

Yes. Absolutely. Thank you, Madam Chair. Unlike the first two amendments that this body has heard, this is a full new tribal state gaming compact. It replaces a 2004 compact that has since expired. It is, however, very consistent with other recent tribal state gaming compacts that have come before this body. It contemplates 1,200 gaming devices at up to two gaming facilities. Just one small note on the location of a potential gaming facility. This is a tribe that spans the California, Arizona, Nevada border.

My understanding is that it has not previously built a gaming facility in California even though it did have that now expired 2004 compact. In part because the 2004 compact did not allow flexibility on the site of that gaming facility, and they ran into some logistical trouble with the site. To help solve for that issue here, we are using a mechanism in federal law that's called a two part determination, which is a determination made by the federal Secretary of the Interior.

If the secretary determines that taking new land into trust for gaming would benefit that tribe and would not harm, you know, other local communities based on state and local input. And importantly, if a future governor chooses to concur in that determination, then this compact, as a matter of the compact itself, would allow, you know, that site to be used for gaming under the compact somewhere in the vicinity of the City of Needles.

Other than that, very standard terms consistent with things that this body has seen before, standard payments into that special distribution fund that's intended to defray the state's regulatory costs, standard protections for workers, including state minimum wage, state law protections when it comes to discrimination, harassment, retaliation, a tribal labor relations ordinance, which provides a framework for labor representation and organizing. So happy to answer any questions, but it is a very standard 1,200 device compact.

Thank you for that. I would like to call up Vice Chairman Lewis to testify. Welcome.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair and Committee Members. My name is Shan Lewis. I serve as the vice chairman of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe. It's my honor and privilege to be here today to provide support for our compact and relationship to the state of California. With me today are two of our council members, Colleen Garcia and Nichole Garcia, and our legal advisors, Mr. Veron Cuban Vyoma and Mr. David Clifford.

I'd like to begin by expressing appreciation to our team here, Governor Gavin Newsom's office, the committee and staff, and everyone who supported our efforts to be here today. The Mojave people are Pipa Aha Macav, which means the people by the river. Our ancestral homelands extend long along the Colorado River across from where now California, Arizona, and Nevada are. We are fortunate to still occupy portions of our original homelands.

Our identity, culture, and way of life are deeply connected to the Colorado River and the lands that surround it. Today, the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe continues our responsibility to protect our lands, our culture, and the well-being of future generations for all Californians. In 2004, our tribe entered into its first tribal state gaming compact with California.

The 2004 compact limited gaming to a single parcel of land that ultimately proved economically unsuited for development. As a result, for more than twenty years, the tribe has not been able to operate a casino in California or realize the economic development opportunity the compact was originally intended to provide.

While land used for gaming will still require future federal approvals and the governor's concurrence, this new compact will finally provide the tribe with meaningful opportunities to develop a modest gaming facility. It is important to note no singular person benefits from our tribe's gaming.

The revenue generated by our facility will help fund essential tribal governmental programs and services for our members, while also providing jobs to all Californians along with all of the off reservation, non tribal economic development opportunities this accompanying gaming project would bring. The compact reflects a balanced government to government agreement, supports tribal jobs and funding for essential tribal programs and services.

After more than two decades, this compact gives the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe a fair opportunity to pursue economic development while protecting patrons, employees, and neighboring California communities. For this Mojave people, this is about more than economic development. It's an opportunity in the health, education, and future of generations of our people. So with that, I'd like to thank you for this opportunity and look forward to answering any questions that you may have.

Thank you, vice chairman. Any members of the audience wishing to provide public comment?

Thank you. Dawn Rowe, San Bernardino County 3rd District Supervisor whose territory also includes Fort Mojave's tribal lands, in support. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other members of the audience? Any questions or comments from the committee? Seeing none. Thank you, vice chairman, for that testimony. We appreciate you being here. Thank you. Next, we have the fifth amendment to the tribal state compact between the state of California and the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians of California. And with us today, we will have Deann Kamalani, chairperson. And with that, Mr. Lee, if you would like to brief us on that.

Yes. Absolutely. Thank you, Madam Chair. Just to provide a little additional context on this one, if you have a situation where a tribe and the state are unable to reach a negotiated compact, unfortunately, one of the things that can happen is that the tribe and the state can wind up in litigation.

Unfortunately, that is what has happened here. What is before this body is an extension to the tribe's existing gaming compact so that we can preserve the status quo and allow that that litigation to proceed in an orderly way that doesn't jam the tribe or the federal court or anybody else.

Thank you. Appreciate that. Madam Chair, you may begin your testimony.

Hilly. Hilly. Hilly. Chairwoman Rubio, Members of the Committee, fellow tribal leaders, and our members of the public. So my name is Deann Kamalani, and I am proud to serve as the chairperson of the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians. We're located in a rural town in Coarsegold, California.

Our aboriginal territory stretched from the Yosemite Valley to the South part of the Central Valley. Yet by the 1960s, we found ourselves considered landless and terminated by federal policies. So in the 1980s, we were reestablished as Picayune Rancheria through a court case called Tillie Hardwick. When our constitution was ratified in 1988, our land base was documented at 80 acres.

So I'm here today on behalf of our tribal council and our resilient people to respectfully ask for your support in ratifying the fifth amendment to our tribal state gaming compact. For Chukchansi, gaming is not simply a business. This revenue is what allows our tribal government to take care of our people, exercise our sovereignty, and build a stronger, more secure future for our community.

So the revenues generated by our gaming enterprise, Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino, help provide health care to our families, housing services to our tribal citizens, programs for our elders, educational opportunities for our young people. This year, we celebrated the highest high school graduation rate in college bound students in our nation's history.

Thank you. So the revenue supports preservation to our Chukchansi culture, language, and traditions. The nation partnered with Fresno State University to document our language and create a dictionary. And currently, the Chukchansi language is being taught at our local public school, Yosemite High. So Chukchansi Gold Resort Casino opened in 2003 and is the largest employer in Madera County.

We employ 1,100 team members, where 95% of them reside in two surrounding counties, Madera and Fresno. So together, we have injected over $50 million into our local economy since we've opened the property. The nation has funded a fire station building and continues to fund the firefighters that serve the community. Funds have been allocated to our local sheriff's department to ensure public safety remains a priority. So we're a great community partner.

Since our opening, we have given over $25 million to support businesses and organizations who serve our communities. So revenue also allows us to invest in projects that create jobs and economic opportunity, not only for our tribal citizens, but for our neighbors and the surrounding Central Valley and our rural mountain communities.

So as to name a few projects, we have a fuel station that provides affordable fuel, naming rights to Chukchansi Park to revitalize Downtown Fresno, funding to community medical centers to provide effective health care. So revenues are used also to help the nation buy back our lands. We currently now own close to 1,000 acres.

Now keep in mind, we started with 80. So revenue from our gaming enterprises provides our nation with greater stability and certainly, so we can continue making these investments and planning responsibly for generations to come. But I wanna leave you with something even more important. So for generations, our proud Chukchansi people fought hard to maintain our land, our culture, and our inherent right to govern ourselves. Today, gaming gives Chukchansi the resources to put that sovereignty into practice.

So it means caring for an elder. It means helping a young citizen get an education. It means providing housing services, preserving our culture, and creating opportunities for children who will inherit this great tribal nation long after all of us are gone. So this compact is not simply about gaming.

It's a document that helps our tribal nation remain self reliant, exercise our sovereignty, and provide a better future for our tribal citizens of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians. So today, I ask again, please, please, I ask for your vote to pass this fifth amendment for Picayune Rancheria. Chair and the Members of the Committee.

Thank you very much for that. Any members of the audience who wish to make any public comments on the compact? Seeing none. Any Members of the Committee? Any questions or comments? Assembly Member Soria.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to thank the chairwoman for her presentation and for all the incredible information that she's provided. I can attest because even though their land is not located within my district, I know everything that they do impacts our region. And so from the time that I was on the city council and your guys' investment in the City of Fresno, the impacts that it has had, and all the other investments that you guys have made in the time that you guys have been in operation.

I commend you, and I look forward to seeing that you guys are successful in achieving a compact that is fair in the near future. But I know that this extension is extremely important, so I'm proud to support you guys. I know last year we did an extension, and so I look forward to seeing this extension come to the floor and support it then. Thank you again for the incredible work that you guys do in our community.

Thank you so much.

Thank you. Anyone else? Hearing none. Thank you, Madam Chair, for that presentation.

Thank you. May I approach? I'd like to give you...

Oh, absolutely. Yes. Well, thank you. Appreciate that. Thank you very much. Thank you. Oh, yes. Thank you. With that, next, we have the second amendment to the tribal state compact between the state of California and the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation. First, we will have Vice Chairman Johnny Hernandez testify, but in the meantime, Mr. Lee, can you provide some updates, please?

Yes. Absolutely. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Similar to the Pechanga and Agua Caliente amendments, this is another tribal government that has been an excellent partner to the state across the board, including in this post Chicken Ranch era. As part of that, you know, collaborative spirit, the tribal government has offered that same promise not to sue over certain revenue terms.

It's the special, that's the special distribution fund, the Tribal Nation Grant Fund, and the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund. In fact, the tribe has actually, excuse me, the nation has actually, extended its commitment to the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund above and beyond what it had already agreed to pay under its existing compact by offering supplemental payments into the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund as part of this amendment. You'll see some other things in there.

Some additional flexibility on gaming devices and facilities, 1,000 additional devices, similar to Pechanga, provisions for a future federal two part determination, similar to Fort Mojave. You will see there is a term that is common in our more recent compacts where if the state ever were to legalize a new form of gaming, of course, we would come back to the table and bargain over that. So we've agreed to do that. Happy to answer any any questions, but mostly want to extend a tremendous thank you to the nation for all of its tremendous partnership over the years and all of the things that it has achieved as a sovereign tribal government.

Thank you. And let me just add, Vice Chairman Hernandez is here and also Dawn Rowe, chairwoman for San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors is here. So I'll give the chairman an opportunity, the vice chairman an opportunity and, chairwoman, you would you would go after that. Thank you.

Thank you, Chairwoman Rubio and the Committee Members. So always a pleasure being here discussing some tribal things. Regarding the state compact amendment, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation recently agreed with Governor Gavin Newsom. My name is Johnny Hernandez. I have the honor of serving as the vice chairman of the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation.

I respectfully ask your support for AB 1579 when it reaches the Assembly floor. Our tribe now formally known as the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians reclaimed our ancestral name. So now we're the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation. Our reservation was established in 1891, and it's just 40 acres in the foothills of San Bernardino Mountains, even though our ancestral territory spans more than 7.4 million acres throughout Southern California.

This year marks forty years since we opened our tribal meeting hall in 1986, a milestone made possibly by the vision and determination of our tribal leaders who saw economic self sufficiency for future generations and provide critical service to our citizens. I think you heard a few today, but, you know, I think we all have the same story.

We have to provide education, health and wellness, safety, security, infrastructure, and especially cultural resources. One thing I'd like to talk about is we're going into our second year of a tribal school on the reservation and, you know, being able to implement our own culture and teach our citizens who they are culturally, but then also to be able to utilize that language. And we have a dual immersion within the school. And our story for our language, I mean, decades ago, it was almost extinct.

It was down to two fluent, two fluent speakers at the Morongo Reservation. And so we've been working overtime on bringing that back to the reservation. And I glad to say the tribes, the youth, especially, have picked it up and they're running with it. So these are some of the things that the extra revenue with the thousand machines would help greatly the tribe. California voters, of course, played an important role in this journey.

Through Prop 5 and later Prop 1A, Californians affirm that tribal governments should have the opportunity to conduct tribal gaming on tribal lands as a means of supporting self sufficiency, self reliance, creating jobs, and funding essential government services. Today, tribal gaming in California is among the most highly regulated forms of gaming in the nation. Tribal operators are regulated through tribal, state, and federal law and oversight, including tribal state compacts, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and review by the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation has proven to be a responsible steward of this industry. We maintain comprehensive programs that promote responsible gaming, help prevent problem gambling, and provide support and resources for those who need assistance. Our commitment is not simply to operate successfully, but to operate responsibly with integrity.

In recognition of those efforts, we have recently honored, were honored by the California Council of Problem Gambling for the nineteenth consecutive year as a responsible gaming establishment. The success of tribal government gaming has allowed our nation to become a stronger partner with California, as well as local governments, business, nonprofit organizations, and labor. We have contributed nearly $500 million in philanthropic grants.

And this isn't just, you know, regionally, we provide through statewide and even nationwide. And we specifically focus on things like education, health care, especially with our Native brothers and sisters and economic reliance on top of a lot of other things. And we're one of the region's largest employers. We nearly, we employ nearly 8,000 team members. And I'm glad to say too that we actually have a lot of long term employees. We recently just celebrated three employees that have been with us since the beginning of gaming for forty years.

And all of our team members are from the region as well, so providing economic benefits to the community. And we provide more than 627 million in annual compensation. Our amended compact reflects the same commitment to partnership. It supports long term planning and self reliance for our nation, provides additional support for limited and non gaming tribes through the Revenue Sharing Trust Fund, which is near and dear to us, completely committed to that, and create significant benefits for California communities.

Tribal gaming, while regulated with integrity and guided by tribal values, strengthens tribal governments, supports local economies, and creates lasting benefits for communities throughout California. Thank you for the opportunity to be here, and I respectfully ask your support for AB 1579. And also I wanna recognize Assemblyman Avelino. He's, you know, great. Thank you, and, yeah, appreciate it.

Thank you very much. Yes. Chairwoman, we weren't sure. Are you currently the chairwoman? Okay. So Chairwoman Rowe, you may begin.

Thank you, Chairwoman and Members of the Committee. I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you here today on behalf of San Bernardino County in support of Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation tribal state compact amendment. My name is Dawn Rowe. I currently serve as the chairwoman of the board and then also the third district supervisor where the nation has its home. So it is an honor to be here today.

When I was first appointed to San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, I had a limited knowledge of what a compact was and how it would impact the rest of our county and governments. And I had I thought it just had to do with entertaining and gaming. And while that is an important component, obviously, of the compact, there's really so much more to it. And so they are a huge, as you heard the vice chair say, employer in our county, which we appreciate.

Entertainment draws people from all over to our county to enjoy that. So those are important things. But more than that, they are philanthropic partners. They serve our community exceptionally well with what they are able to do with the means that they are able to provide because of the compact.

And so I have really gotten to know them in that capacity and how they serve as a partner with us. And then also when you look at the Revenue Sharing Trust Funds that they're able to contribute to tribes who don't have gaming compacts and that that is also a component of this that is really an economic driver for those tribes that do not have that.

So when you look at tribal sustainment within their own tribe that this is able to provide, coupled with the entertainment, and then most importantly to me the philanthropic area, it is just truly something that I will advocate your support for. And when we testified earlier today on the Senate side, a component was brought up on local governments and the ability to have agreements. And so the nation also has an agreement with our district attorney, with our sheriff's office, sheriff's department, as well as county fire.

And specifically within county fire, they train, they cross train in their programs, and they have a shared agreement in an MOU with all of those entities. We, a few years ago, had the Line Fire, and you can't really tell where county fire starts and stops, where the nation starts and stops. Everybody responds together, and that is an important component for us with them to have in our county. So I urge a yes vote when it comes time for Assembly Bill 1579. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Any members of the audience who wish to make public comments?

Madam Chair, Members. Luis Sanchez here on behalf of the City of San Bernardino in strong support. Thank you.

Thank you. Anyone else in the audience? Members of the Committee, questions or comments? Assembly Member Solache.

Thank you, Madam Chair. First of all, thank you to Vice Chair Hernandez, chairman, of course, our supervisor for being here today from San Bernardino and San Bernardino. I wanna say, you know, I as someone that works in, work from local government for 21 years, a former mayor of my city of Lynwood, It's just very good to hear all the updates that you're doing. I've been to the reservation myself.

I've been able to learn a lot and just really have valued the, you know, the history that, you know, the reservation has had for his community. It's beautiful to see the developments have happened. The investments in community. I know the hospital was one of the things I learned. You guys have been a big partner in the region and the area. I'm a little biased.

I went once you drive up Victoria and, you know, you cross the street on Lynwood Road. So that's, you know, it's a personal observation of mine. Every time I've been there on a personal level too that I've seen Lynwood Road across to Victoria as you drive up to the location. But again, as a local mayor, I've been so impressed to see the work that you've been doing for decades, really. And next, I wanna say that one of the things that I support of this compact, my first ever time I voted in my life was in 98, 1998.

I was 18 years old, and I learned about the compact that was on the ballot. That was a great day. I was running for the governor, and I was a young high, you know, out of high school student and into college. And I got to vote for the compact for the first time. So the same way I voted for the compact in 1998, I will continue working on this and as a legislator and continue, you know, advocating for the work that you've been doing for so many years.

And again, you have my commitment and the support to this compact and what it means to community that you proudly represent. And the last thing as an as someone that has been in education, I really love the, you know, the language you keep active in the community. I'm someone that believes in and loves languages.

So I just I know that when I went to one of the tribes, they had a dictionary that they protect because, obviously, it's part of the community. And so, again, just you get to learn a lot when you get to attend some of these locations. So thank you. And the same way, again, I voted for this 98. I voted for it in 2026. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other comments? Well, I just wanna comment that those folks that you bring for entertainment include my parents. They drive to San Manuel for, you know, a couple times, and we'll call and we're like, where are you? Oh, we're not here. I'm like, you're at the casino, aren't you? And so, yes, it's great entertainment. Even though they're about 40 miles away, they make that drive because it's a lot of fun for them. So thank you for everything that you do. Any other comments?

Well, thank you very much, and we'll continue. We'll send it to the floor. Thank you. So next, we have the second amendment to the tribal state gaming compact between the state of California and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. With us today will be Chairman Kenneth Kahn. And Mr. Lee, if you would like to begin. And Chairman Kahn, if you would come up, really appreciate it.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Like the other compact amendments that we've been discussing so far today, another situation where the tribal government here has been an excellent partner to the state across the board, and we are happy to do what we can to make sure that our relationship, including through the compact, works well and sustainably for them because it works so well for us.

What that means in concrete terms here is, you know, you'll once again see some additional flexibility on the number of gaming devices and additional 500 devices here. You will see what's become sort of the standard post Chicken Ranch cleanup language and just to pause and unpack what that means. In that Chicken Ranch decision back in 2022, what the federal court said was that we could not include in our compacts broad environmental review terms, broad family law terms, broad tort liability terms.

We have managed to include some more narrow and focused terms here relating in particular to tort liability. We are also very happy to have worked out with the tribe an agreement that the tribe could self insure rather than, than purchase commercial insurance when it comes to that liability. Beyond that, an extended compact term. Happy to answer any questions.

Thank you. With that, Chairman Kahn, you may begin.

Good afternoon, Chair Rubio and Members of the Committee. My name is Kenneth Kahn, chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, and I'm here to respectfully ask for your support of Senate Bill 542, authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón, to ratify our 2026 Tribal State Gaming Compact Amendment. Our Chumash people have lived in the Santa Barbara region since time immemorial. Our aboriginal ties to this to these lands are profound.

Our history is one of perseverance, cultural strength, and an enduring responsibility to future generations. Among the amended terms, the extension of our compact is especially important. It provides the long term certainty for our tribal government needs to plan responsibly, invest wisely, and continue building a secure future for our people.

Our tribal enterprise supports approximately 2,000 jobs. The stability provided by this amendment will help protect these jobs and the families who depend on them. It will also sustain our significant economic impact throughout the Tri County region by supporting local businesses, vendors, contractors, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies.

Gaming revenues allow our tribal government to provide health care, education, social welfare services, cultural programming, and essential infrastructure, including housing that enables more of our people to live within our community and remain connected to their culture and ancestral homeland. This compact extension is about far more than gaming.

It is about economic security, responsible tribal governance, cultural preservation, and our continued ability to care for our people while contributing to the broader region. On behalf of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, I thank President Pro Tem Limón for authoring SB 542, and I respectfully ask for your support in advancing this bill and for your aye vote when it comes before you on the Senate floor. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Any members of the audience who wish to provide public comments? Seeing none. Any Members of the Committee with any questions or comments? Seeing none. Thank you, Chairman Kahn, for that testimony. Alright. So last but not least, we have tribal state gaming compact between the state of California and the Yurok Tribe of the Yurok Reservation. They were having some technical difficulties, but I believe that Chairman Joseph James is online. And in the meantime, Mr. Lee, can you provide any updates?

Thank you, Madam Chair. Like the Fort Mojave compact that you heard about a few moments ago, this is another new tribal state gaming compact, a new whole compact. It replaces an expiring compact from 1999, very consistent with other recent compacts that this body has seen. This compact allows for up to 349 devices at up to three gaming facilities.

It contains standard terms as to payments into that special distribution fund to defray the state's regulatory costs, contains standard worker protection terms, you know, things like state minimum wage, that tribal labor relations ordinance, and so on. Happy to answer any questions, but believe it's very consistent with other 349 device compacts that you all have seen.

Thank you, Mr. Lee. And, Chairman James, are you on?

Good afternoon, Madam Chair. Can you hear me?

Oh, yes.

Yes. So Chairman James offers his apologies. I'm Sara Dutschke, outside legal counsel for the tribe, and they have lost power on the reservation today. So he was on and he lost power, so he asked me to step in for him and, again, offers his apologies. So Madam Chair, Members of the Committee, you know, on behalf of Chairman James, just thank you for holding this informational hearing today.

As Matt just represented, the compact is really just it's a new compact for the tribe with their compact expiring at the end of this year, but it's really focused on addressing the change to legal landscape or following the Chicken Ranch decision. Yurok is got a lot of things going on up in their reservation, but gaming is not their primary economic driver, as I think everybody probably knows.

But the compact does allow them to expand to 349 machines while maintaining their limited gaming tribe status. So on behalf of Chairman and the Yurok people, I just wanna say thank you for your time today, encourage support for the ratification bill when it does reach the Senate floor. And, again, I'm also happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you very much. Any members of the audience who wish to provide any public comments? Seeing none. Any Members of the Committee, any questions or comments? Hearing none. Thank you. We really appreciate your testimony. And tell him we completely understand. Technical difficulties happen all the time, so we look forward to talking to him soon. So thank you.

Great. Thank you so much.

Okay. With that, we have completed the hearings for all seven compacts today, and we'll continue on. And we'll send them on to the floor where that then we will take a formal vote on these. So Mr. Lee, thank you so much for always being so concise and complete in your testimony. I appreciate it. And with that, I will go ahead and adjourn the meeting at 3PM. Thank you.