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Lawmakers to review Spokane
Tribe Gaming Compact;
Condotta
calls for Legislature’s oversight of gambling compacts
The State Gambling
Commission will present its proposed Class III Spokane Tribe Gaming
Compact before a joint session of the Senate Labor, Commerce, Research
and Development and the House Commerce and Labor Committees Tuesday,
Jan. 23. The presentation is slated to be held at 1:30 p.m. in the John
A. Cherberg Building, Hearing Room 4 on the Capitol Campus in Olympia.
Rep. Cary Condotta, R-East Wenatchee, who serves as the ranking
Republican on the House Labor and Commerce Committee, in response to the
sweeping gambling policy changes the Spokane compact would make, has
introduced House Bill 1257. The bill will move the authority to approve
tribal gambling compacts from the governor and the State Gambling
Commission to the Legislature.
“We’re poised to watch Governor Gregoire expand gambling in our state
beyond just tribal land, but to private land around our communities,”
said Condotta. “We’re at the point, with the proposed Spokane Compact,
where we could see a tremendous expansion of gambling.”
Condotta said that the Legislature needs broader oversight of tribal
gaming compacts because constituent concerns are not being considered in
the closed-door negotiations. The Legislature, he says, represents the
citizens of the state, and they should have a say on issues that impact
their communities.
Condotta also noted that Washington voters have soundly rejected
statewide initiatives to expand gambling twice in the last decade.
“The last initiative to expand gambling that went to the voters was a
slam-dunk ‘no’ and yet our governor may do it anyway, without any input
from constituents,” said Condotta.
Of specific concern, says Condotta, are the options for other tribes
around Washington to cherry-pick items from the Spokane compact, should
it be approved, to expand their tribe’s gambling, leading to
uncontrolled expansion of tribal gambling facilities around the state.
“The governor is entering Washington into an agreement, on behalf of all
Washington citizens, with essentially a sovereign nation. There are
elements in the proposal that will have a lasting and concrete impact on
communities that may or may not agree with gambling expansion in their
backyards.
Sweeping changes to gambling policy, in my view, qualifies as something
that should be brought before the Legislature for public hearings, a
full debate and very careful deliberation,” said Condotta. “My bill will
create a transparent, public process for crafting gambling policy that
mirrors the values of the citizens.”
Tuesday’s briefing on the proposed Spokane Gaming Compact before the
House and Senate joint session is solely for the purpose of informing
the legislative body of the elements in the compact. The Legislature has
no authority to change any provisions in the agreement.
The State Gambling Commission will vote to approve or reject the Spokane
Tribe Gaming Compact Feb. 8.
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