Committee postpones action on Indian gambling compact

The Governmental Organization committee heard two hours of testimony, then delayed a vote on the bill by Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, until next week.

Burton and others said the additional week would provide time to examine issues that arose during Monday's hearing. It also gives Burton time to round up support for the controversial measure.

Burton said his bill seeks to clarify that the compact signed by Wilson and the Pala Band of Mission Indians applies to that tribe only, and that other tribes will be required to negotiate their own compacts individually.

The bill also submits the compact to the Legislature and affirms the governor's authority to negotiate gambling agreements with Indian tribes - a position that reflects Wilson's interpretation of a 1988 federal law regulating tribal gambling.

Other tribes contend the Pala compact will serve as a restrictive model for other tribes' agreements with Wilson, and that it unfairly limits the number of gambling machines statewide that can be placed on reservations.

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