Senate committee hears presentation on Big Sandy Rancheria compact, no action taken

The California State Senate Committee on Governmental Organization on Tuesday held an informational hearing on extensions to the Big Sandy Rancheria gaming compact and on SB 49, a bill to ratify a new 25‑year compact between the state and Big Sandy Rancheria and the Western Mono Indians of California. Committee members took testimony but did not vote or take formal action.

Matthew Lee, senior advisor for tribal negotiations in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, told the committee that the compact now before the Legislature is “materially identical” to one the Legislature ratified last fall but that the U.S. Department of the Interior disapproved the earlier ratification. Lee said Interior’s written position explained the disapproval and indicated the compact would likely be approved if two items already found elsewhere in state law were placed “in the four corners of the compact.” Those items, Lee said, are the promise of gaming exclusivity to tribal governments under the California Constitution and certain CEQA exemptions included in the ratification bill. “We anticipate, given Interior’s written position, that that compact would be allowed to take effect,” Lee said.

Lee also explained why the committee was being asked to hear third and fourth amendments extending the existing compact: the amendments would extend the current compact temporarily to allow time for Interior’s review. He described the third amendment as an extension through the first quarter of the year and the fourth amendment as an extension through the second quarter, with cumulative extensions running to July 1 to “buy time” while the federal process plays out. The hearing was informational; Lee and committee members said no formal action was required at the session.

Elizabeth Hutchins, tribal chairwoman of Big Sandy Rancheria, testified by videoconference about the compact’s importance to the tribe’s economic development and community programs. “SB 49 is very vital for our tribe as it will ensure the long‑term success of our tribe, with its economic development and, of course, continuing fulfillment to our commitments to not only our members, but also to our local partners,” Hutchins said. She described an Impact Mitigation Fund in the compact intended to support local law enforcement, emergency services and neighboring jurisdictions.

Hutchins and committee members described local contributions the tribe said it already makes: donations to a volunteer fire department, support for the Sierra Unified School District including scholarships and Chromebooks for graduates, and other community programs. Hutchins said the tribe provides roughly 60 jobs on the tribal side (grants, housing, water and similar services) and about 80 jobs on the tribe’s economic‑development side. “We are the second largest employer of our area,” she said.

Senators on the committee asked how the tribe’s revenues and mitigation funding translate into local services. Senator Archuleta noted community workforce development and public‑safety support; Lee described the compact’s revenue‑sharing structure in broad terms, identifying revenue for state regulatory costs, payments to other tribes, and funding for local mitigation through the Impact Mitigation Fund. Lee characterized the fund’s trigger as tied to device counts in the compact: “if the tribe operates more than its current level of 349 devices, I think it’s 1% of net win, is paid into this fund,” he said.

Committee members emphasized that the hearing was informational and that the next step is the federal review. Lee and witnesses said the compact will not take effect until the Department of the Interior completes its approval process. No motions or committee votes were made during the hearing.

The hearing record shows the committee received public questions and testimony and then adjourned; committee members indicated they would await the outcome of Interior’s review before any further legislative action.