"For almost two years, a pair of Indian tribes have watched their gaming agreements sit in limbo in the Legislature. And time may be running out.

On this morning's edition of The California Report, my story examines the status of the gaming agreement that would allow two tribes to open side-by-side casinos in the desert city of Barstow. Of course, neither of those tribes-- San Diego County's Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians or Humboldt County's Big Lagoon Rancheria-- hails from Barstow.

And that's been the problem.

The gaming compact, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2005, has been criticized as a precedent that would pave the way for additional off-reservation gaming in the state. And those same critics say it's simply not enough that the tribes, the governor, and Barstow city leaders all back the proposal.

Still, the two tribes have pushed on in their efforts to gain support for the deal in the Legislature... maintaining that their respective tribal lands aren't a good fit for casinos, and that a new site is crucial. In the case of Los Coyotes, the reservation is in a mountainous, remote region... away from almost any real roadway. And in Big Lagoon's case, the Barstow plan is the solution to a long running legal battle... with the state and environmental groups arguing that the coastal Humboldt reservation has too fragile of an ecosystem for a casino."

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John Myers: Two Casinos, One Problem (Capital Notes 5/29)