Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations

Supports Special Distribution Fund

in Tribal-State Compacts

San Bernardino, CA -- Earlier this year, the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations (TASIN), an organization of 14 gaming and non-gaming tribes located in Santa Barbara, San Bernardino and Riverside counties initiated contact with the cities, counties and government agencies around its member tribes to discuss the specifics of the Special Distribution Fund created by the tribal-state compact. The purpose of the meetings was to determine the calculation and method of distribution for the funds specifically earmarked to help local communities mitigate the impacts of Indian gaming to their communities that TASIN could present to legislators in Sacramento.

“Having been active in their communities for years, tribal leaders knew that the local governments needed representation during the 1999 negotiations,” commented Lynn Valbuena, TASIN Chairperson. “The Special Distribution Fund was created as another way that communities and their members would benefit from Indian gaming.”

Dedicating money for local governments to meet community needs was an idea that originated with the California tribal governments. The agreement reached creates a fund that would be disbursed through grants for programs designed to address gambling addiction and for the support of state and local government agencies impacted by tribal government gaming, compensation for regulatory costs incurred by the State Gaming Agency and the Department of Justice in connection with the compacts, meet shortfalls of the Revenue Sharing Fund, and any other purpose specified by law.

“It is because the compacts lack a formula for the distribution of the funds that TASIN organized the task force from the cities and counties within our region that have neighboring Indian casinos, added Valbuena. “Now we can take a proposal to the state that is reflective of local governments needs.”

This task group of elected representatives is finalizing its proposal and preparing to move ahead with its recommendations to TASIN.