The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors just acted to comply with a new law banning electronic forms of charity bingo – one the Legislature crammed through in 11 days at the end of the 2008 session.

How nice. Our state leaders can't agree on how to address a $28 billion budget problem, but they can act in 11 days to destroy charities because Indian tribes tell them to.

Today, legal forms of e-bingo overseen by the county and the sheriff account for almost $5 million of services provided by charities such as the Society for the Blind, United Cerebral Palsy's Saddle Pals therapeutic horse-riding program, WIND Youth Services, Disabled Sports USA and support for after-school activities at seven of eight San Juan Unified School District high schools.

As of Jan. 1, a giant hole will begin forming – all because of 11 days in August and the greed of powerful tribal gambling interests.

Sure, they created a one-time, $5 million mitigation fund and a new, unproven statewide game that will offer zero benefit to small charities.

But what about next year? And the next?

With state and local government budgets in severe disarray, along with increased service demands due to our down economy, losing more than $20 million over the next five years will hurt these important services much more than state leaders took the time to realize.

The Society for the Blind says it will cut its junior programs – things like teaching blind children to read Braille or to learn mobility with a cane. With these cuts, where will these kids get services like these?

Additionally, politicians talk a good game about the need for after-school programs to keep kids out of trouble. During an interview about the impact of this bill from our school's very old and overused football field, the reporter could see seven different sports teams in action, all of which are supported by e-bingo.

Despite efforts and "no" votes of some of Sacramento's representatives, like Sen. Dave Cox and Assemblyman Roger Niello (himself a parent who has volunteered at a bingo hall in support of his child's activities), the Senate never even heard the bill in a policy or fiscal committee.

When the Senate passed the bill on its floor following no public hearings, it ignored an alternative vision in which:

• Local rules could continue to apply, meaning a county or city would have to affirmatively act to allow bingo in old-styled paper and/or newer, electronic forms.

• The number of machines allowed could be tightly prescribed.

• Clarity could be added so that only of legal machines posing no conflict with law or tribes' exclusivity for slot-styled gambling would be used.

This vision could have included the use of bingo halls as vehicles for many charities in our communities, helping to offset the escalating need for services.

Because of the impact on charities, we don't have much choice but to legally challenge this flawed law. Fortunately, county leaders included a clause to roll back the new ordinance if the courts scrub the new law or put it on hold. The case is currently in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

But we will likely also need our State's new Senate leader, Darrell Steinberg, to stand up to the powerful tribes to help the charities. I hope he's that kind of leader.

Topo Padilla is president of the El Camino High School Boosters Club.