July 19 Governor Jerry Brown signed a tribal state gaming compact with the Wilton Rancheria Tribe of Miwok Indians that would allow the tribe to put a casino on 36 acres in Elk Grove that the Bureau of Indian Affairs put into trust in February. The compact now awaits action by the legislature.
The once landless tribe achieved federal recognition in 2009 after being illegally terminated in the 1950s.
The land is located in an unfinished mall that the locals have dubbed the “ghost mall,” and which owners of the mall and the city of Elk Grove have said needs the casino in order for the mall to be completed.
Besides a casino the tribe plans one of the largest convention centers in the Sacramento region, plus a hotel, concert venue and restaurants.
The 750-member tribe has said it plans to invest more than $180 million over the next two decades to improve public safety, traffic schools and community programs.
Despite this progress, the California gaming watchdog group Stand Up for California has joined three Elk Grove residents in suing in both state and federal courts to try to prevent the casino from going forward.
The federal lawsuit claims the land was not properly put into trust, claiming that the wrong official signed the “record of decision,” at the time when the Obama administration was transitioning into the Trump administration. The Trump administration says the document was properly signed.
The plaintiffs’ state court lawsuit, Stand Up California v. City of Elk Grove, was dismissed on August 1, but they have promised an appeal. In this case the opponents charge that the city improperly changed the zoning of the land, which allowed it to be put into trust.
Once the legislature ratifies the compact, it must be reviewed by the BIA to make sure it abides by federal law.
Meanwhile Tribal Chairman Raymond Hitchcock told The Citizen that, “It’s time for certain card club interests that are writing checks for baseless lawsuits to step aside.” The reference is to Sacramento County card clubs that have funded most of the efforts to derail the casino effort.
