Steve’s Quoted in These Articles on the RIGHT Bill’s Defeat

Thread: Proposed IGRA Amendments

Steve’s quoted in the September 14th edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune and the September 13th edition of the Massillon Independent (Ohio) on last week’s defeat of House Rep. Pombo’s RIGHT bill. [We discuss that defeat in our post from last week, “Looks Like the RIGHT Bill is Wrong (Temporarily, at Least)”]

In these articles, Steve says he expects congressional efforts to reform the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to continue into the fall.

Some may paint the defeat of Pombo’s bill is as simply the result of, say, the flow of tribal campaign contributions (which the Union-Tribune article points out tend to favor Democrats).

It’s true that election-year politics may be paramount in this case. And sure, the interests of tribal constituencies may overlap with the politics of partisanship. But it’s even more complicated than that.

As Steve notes, Democrats historically have been greater advocates for tribal sovereignty as well as tribal interests. Tribal sovereignty is the federally recognized basis for Indian gaming. To the extent that the defeat of this bill reinforces tribal sovereignty, partisan politics work in tribes’ favor –- for the time being.

Paul M. Krawzak and James P. Sweeney, “House Rejects Limits on Off-Reservation Casinos, San Diego Union-Tribune, September 14, 2006, at http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20060914-9999-1n14casino.html

Paul M. Krawzak, “House Rejects Bill to Block Casinos,” Massillon Independent (Ohio), September 13, 2006, at http://www.indeonline.com/index.php?ID=10347&r=0&Category