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Senate ratifies amended gaming compact with Big Sandy Rancheria, declares urgency
Summary
The California State Senate on March 17, 2025, approved Senate Bill 49 to ratify amendments to the statetribal gaming compact with the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians and declared the bill an urgency measure to take effect immediately, passing 37-0.
The California State Senate on March 17, 2025, approved Senate Bill 49 to ratify amendments to the state-tribal gaming compact with the Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians and declared the bill an urgency measure so it takes effect immediately. The measure passed by unanimous roll call, 37-0.
Senator Brian Grove presented the bill on the Senate floor, saying SB 49 "would ratify the amendments to the state tribal gaming compact between the state of California and Big Sandy Rancheria of Western Mono Indians." He told colleagues the new text "addresses the primary basis for the Department of Interior's disapproval of the compact," and said subsequent negotiations between the governor's office and the tribe resolved those issues.
Grove said the bill also "provide[s] two extensions to the tribe's previous compact, for the tribe to operate the gaming facility while the Department of Interior considers the new compact." He described the tribe as "active and valued members of their community" who "work closely with city counts [sic], their county and law enforcement," and urged an aye vote. The Senate applied the unanimous roll-call procedure and recorded 37 ayes, 0 noes on both the urgency clause and the measure.
Discussion on the floor was limited; no member objected to the unanimous-roll call process and no amendments were offered during third reading. The bill's passage ratifies the negotiated compact language and extends the tribe's authority to operate its facility temporarily while the U.S. Department of the Interior completes its review.
Because the Department of the Interior had previously disapproved the compact as ratified last year, SB 49 is framed as a corrective measure to address federal concerns so the compact can move forward. The transcript records that the amendments and the agreement with the governor's office resolved the issues identified by the federal agency. The measure's immediate-effect clause means the compact changes will take effect upon enactment.
Provenance: See transcript excerpts for the bill introduction and the final roll call.
