Wednesday, March 14, 2007

"With six days to go in this year's legislative session, lawmakers have
already answered what amounted to a $5.7-billion question. ".The Senate
listened to four hours of testimony Sunday on revising the tribal-state
agreements governing gambling. "The new compacts were negotiated by tribes
and representatives of the Governor's Office. They have the backing of 10 of
the 13 tribes that operate casinos. "Among the key changes, they would:
"Remain in effect until 2037. Current compacts, which were approved in 2001,
will expire in 2015. "Increase the payments from tribes to the state. The
state is projected to get an additional $650 million by 2037. That estimate
is based on all 13 tribes agreeing to the new compact. "Limit how many
casinos each tribe can operate and cap the number of off-reservation
racetracks.