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California Proposition 1A, Gambling on Tribal Lands Amendment (March 2000)
| California Proposition 1A | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date March 7, 2000 | |
| Topic Gambling and American Indian issues | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
California Proposition 1A was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in California on March 7, 2000. It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported amending the state constitution to permit the governor to negotiate (subject to legislative approval) gambling compacts with Indians on tribal lands to authorize slot machines, lottery games, and banking and percentage card games. |
A "no" vote opposed amending the state constitution to permit the governor to negotiate (subject to legislative approval) gambling compacts with Indians on tribal lands to authorize slot machines, lottery games, and banking and percentage card games. |
Election results
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California Proposition 1A |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
4,758,638 | 64.42% | ||
| No | 2,628,451 | 35.58% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposition 1A was as follows:
| “ | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ |
• Modifies state Constitution’s prohibition against casinos and lotteries, to authorize Governor to negotiate compacts, subject to legislative ratification, for the operation of slot machines, lottery games, and banking and percentage card games by federally recognized Indian tribes on Indian lands in California, in accordance with federal law. • Authorizes slot machines, lottery games, and banking and percentage card games to be conducted and operated on tribal lands subject to the compacts. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Fiscal impact
- See also: Fiscal impact statement
The California Legislative Analyst's Office provided an estimate of net state and local government fiscal impact for Proposition 1A. That estimate was:[1]
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Support
Official arguments
The official arguments in support of Proposition 1A were signed by Anthony Pico, tribal chairman, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians; Paula Lorenzo, tribal chairperson, Rumsey Indian Rancheria; and Mark Macarro, tribal chairman, Pechanga Band of Luisen˜ o Indians:[1]
| “ |
VOTE YES ON PROP 1A AND ENSURE THAT INDIAN SELF-RELIANCE IS PROTECTED ONCE AND FOR ALL As tribal leaders of California Indian Tribes, we have seen first-hand the transformation that Indian gaming has made in the lives of our people. Indian gaming on tribal lands has replaced welfare with work, despair with hope and dependency with self-reliance. We are asking you to vote YES on Proposition 1A so we can keep the gaming we have on our reservations. We thank you for your past support and need your help now to protect Indian self-reliance once and for all. We are joined by a vast majority of California’s Indian Tribes that support Prop 1A, including the 59 Tribes who signed gaming compacts with Governor Davis. For the past several years, a political dispute has threatened to shut down Indian casinos in California. To resolve this dispute, California’s Indian Tribes asked voters last year to approve Proposition 5, the Indian Self-Reliance Initiative. With your help, Proposition 5 won overwhelmingly with 63 percent of the vote. But big Nevada casinos that wanted to kill competition from California’s Indian Tribes filed a lawsuit, and Prop 5 was overturned and ruled unconstitutional on a legal technicality. So Prop 1A has been put on the March ballot to resolve this technicality and establish clearly that Indian gaming on tribal lands is legal in California. For more than a decade, Indian casinos in California have provided education, housing and healthcare for Indian people, as well as jobs that have taken Indians off welfare. Today Indian gaming on tribal lands benefits all Californians by providing nearly 50,000 jobs for Indians and non-Indians and producing $120 million annually in state and local taxes. After generations of poverty, despair and dependency, there is hope. On reservations with casinos, unemployment has dropped nearly 50%; welfare has been cut by 68% and, in some cases, eliminated entirely. Proposition 1A:
finally providing clear legal authority for Indian Tribes to conduct specified gaming activities on tribal lands.
If Proposition 1A fails, tribal gaming would face being shut down. This would be devastating for California Indian Tribes—and bad for California’s taxpayers. We are asking voters to protect Indian gaming on tribal land, so that we can preserve the only option most Tribes have to get our people off welfare. We are asking you to let us take care of ourselves and pay our own way. We urge you to vote YES on Proposition 1A.[2] |
” |
Opposition
Official arguments
The official arguments in opposition to Proposition 1A were signed by Bruce Thompson, member, California State Assembly:[1]
| “ |
Proposition 1A and the Governor’s compact with gambling tribes will trigger a massive explosion of gambling in California. Supporters call it a 'modest' increase. Let’s see just how 'modest.'
Casinos won’t be limited to remote locations. Indian tribes are already buying up prime property for casinos in our towns and cities. And they’re bringing in Nevada gambling interests to build and run their casinos. Now California card clubs and racetracks are demanding the right to expand their gambling to keep pace: telephone and computer betting from home, slot machines, blackjack and more. If 1A passes, they’ll be next in line. This is our last, best chance to avoid the Golden State becoming the casino state. Vote no on Proposition 1A.[2] |
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Path to the ballot
Proposition 1A was voted onto the ballot by the California State Legislature via Senate Constitutional Amendment 11 (SCA 11).[3]
See also
External links
- Official Voter Guide
- Full text of Proposition 1A
- Official declaration of the March 7, 2000 vote
- Smart Voter on Proposition 1A
- Cal Voter on Prop 1A
- Top Ten contributors
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 University of California, "Voter Guide," accessed April 20, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California State Legislature, "Senate Constitutional Amendment 11," accessed November 20, 2018
