California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell Endorses Historic New Indian Gaming Agreements

SACRAMENTO – The Coalition to Protect California's Budget & Economy today announced that California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell has formally endorsed the four historic state-tribal Indian gaming agreements negotiated by the Governor and ratified by the Legislature with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians; the Morongo Band of Mission Indians; the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians; and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. O'Connell also opposes referendum efforts to cancel the agreements.

"As California faces chronic budget deficits and a mounting fiscal crisis, it is crucial that we have funds available to maintain and protect vital services for children, including education, health care, social services and public safety," said O'Connell. "The compacts are a win-win for California's taxpayers and school kids, providing much-needed revenue year after year to fund top-quality government and educational services."

Under these agreements, these four tribes that have existing casinos on their remote reservation lands in Riverside and San Diego counties agreed to pay a much higher percentage of their gaming revenues to the state in return for having a restricted number of additional slot machines at their casinos.

The agreements will provide California hundreds of millions of dollars each and every year for the next two decades - providing vitally needed new funding to help reduce California's budget deficit and to help pay for education, public safety and other public services statewide. The agreements were negotiated by Governor Schwarzenegger and approved by a bi-partisan majority of the state legislature.

A report released last week by the non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office states that the referendum effort undertaken by self-interested parties - a Las Vegas casino owner and other gambling interests who want to overturn the agreements - have cost the state more than $200 million in lost revenue and will cause substantial damage to the state's budget.

O'Connell joins a broad coalition of public safety, taxpayer, education, labor, local government, business, Indian Tribes and community groups in supporting the four agreements and opposing the referendum efforts.

To see our latest member list, visit the Who We Are section of our website www.YesforCalifornia.com.

Media with additional inquiries about the Coalition to Protect California’s Budget & Economy can contact Roger Salazar at (916) 444-8897.