Editorial: Tribal money behind defeat of RIGHT Act

Monday, September 18, 2006  

"The Rooster has its talons pointed toward Rep. George Miller, who apparently chose politics over the interests of his Congressional district. On Wednesday, Miller was among the Democrats who tanked a bipartisan bill that would have curbed Indian tribes' attempts to build casinos outside of tribal lands.

The Restricting Indian Gaming to Homelands of Tribes (RIGHT) Act of 2006 by Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, was two years in the making. It had plenty of support here in Solano County among those who recoiled at the thought of a casino in Suisun Valley, as a Ukiah-based tribe proposed three years ago. The RIGHT Act would have closed loopholes that could allow that to happen without local input.

The bill made it through the House Resources Committee on a 27-9 vote in July, with Miller among those who favored it. On Wednesday, he joined mostly Democrats in the 247-171 vote, which fell short of the needed two-thirds majority.

The Dems claimed they blocked the bill because of procedural issues they disagreed with, but The Rooster can't help but take note of figures from the Center for Responsive Politics showing tribes have given $18.4 million to Democrat Congressional campaigns since 1990, but only $8.6 million to Republicans."

Get the Story:
The Rooster: Congressman fails his constituents (The Vacaville Reporter 9/16)