As Gaming Compact For Elk Grove Casino Sails Through State Senate, SUFC Seeks to Slow Process Heading Into Assembly

The Wilton Rancheria, with the financial assistance of Las Vagas-based Boyd Gaming has purchased 36-acres on
the site of Elk Grove's infamous and long dormant ghost mall.  

August 25, 2017 |  

Assembly Bill 1606, sponsored by California Assemblymember Jim Cooper (D - Elk Grove) sailed to an easy confirmation yesterday in the California State Senate.

By a 37-0 vote, the urgency legislation ratified the state gaming compact negotiated by Gov. Jerry Brown with the Wilton Rancheria for their proposed $400-million casino resort in Elk Grove. The compact spells-out the responsibilities of the tribe and terms of the casino operations.

Cooper, who served as an Elk Grove City Council member for 14 years before entering the Assembly in 2014 representing the Ninth District, which includes all of Elk Grove, has been a leading proponent of the controversial project. Located on the site of Elk Grove's infamous and long unfinished ghost mall, Cooper has promoted the casino, which is being financed by Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming, for the potential 2,000 jobs it will bring to the city.

AB 1606, which is a gut-and-amend bill, was first heard by the Senate Governmental Organization Committee as an information item on Tuesday, August 22. The bill now goes to the Assembly where a hearing will be held this coming Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. before the Governmental Organization Committee. 

In a letter to all members of the California Assembly from casino watchdog group Stand Up For California, director Cheryl Schmitt is urging legislators to be more deliberative in their legislative process. At the core of Schmitt's urging is the pending litigation a group of Elk Grove plaintiffs has filed in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. challenging the U.S. Dept. of Interior's decision to place the parcel for the casino into federal trust.

The letter notes "It is undisputable that the compact is conditioned on the outcome of both the state and federal litigation." Schmitt also noted the lawsuit filed against the City of Elk Grove by Elk Grove plaintiffs "for its failure to honor a Public Records Act and the Ralph M. Brown Act in its handling of the city actions to abide by the Development Agreement."

Exclusive of Schmitt's letter, another pending federal administrative hurdle standing in front of the compact is public notification of the decision to place the 36-acre parcel into federal trust. The trust decision still has not been posted in the Federal Register – it is not final until, under regulations, until the notice has been published.