San Manuel signs side agreement - compact could move as soon as today

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, whose Indian gambling compact stalled earlier this year in the Legislature, signed a "letter of agreement" on Wednesday with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and expects lawmakers to begin moving the measure as soon as today.

Jerry Paresa, director of governmental affairs for San Manuel, said he believed that the tribe had struck a deal with Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and the Assembly Democrats, who have blocked passage of the compact, which would allow the San Bernardino County tribe to add up to 5,500 new slot machines at its casinos.

"Yes, that's our hope," Paresa said.

The "letter of agreement," or LOA, is similar to the memoranda of agreement four other gambling tribes signed earlier this year to win passage of their compacts in the Assembly.

In the agreement, the San Manuel tribe agrees to provide an annual financial audit to the state. The LOA, however, does not address the issues of problem gambling and child and spousal support, which were in the MOAs of the other tribes.

Paresa said the letter of agreement was expected to be amended into Assembly Bill 1212, authored by Nunez, and moved out of the Senate as soon as today.

"We've been working with the Assembly Democrats and the Assembly in general at least since January," said Paresa. "I believe all parties have been on the same page all along."

Tussling over labor and other provisions slowed progress for the five compacts, which were first signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in August 2006. But San Manuel's workers have already been unionized.

Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for Nunez, said, "San Manuel has a collective bargaining agreement, so they have addressed our labor concerns. If the LOA, as part of the total package, addresses the other issues we had with other tribes, it will likely be enough to get our support."

Sen. Dean Florez, who is the chair of the Governmental Organization committee, which held hearings on the compacts earlier this year, said the Senate was prepared to grant rule waivers and move the San Manuel bill today, saying the new letter added little to a compact the Senate approved months ago.

"At the end of the day, it doesn't really add anything from a strength point of view to what the Senate passed," Florez said. "I don't think a letter makes the Senate less comfortable." The Senate passed the compacts earlier this year.

The compacts for the four other tribes - the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians - would allow the tribes to add 17,000 more slots, and are currently the target of a referendum campaign to repeal the measures.