Nov
4
2009
Gov. Crist may have still been hopeful last week, but it looks like the Florida legislature has a different view. The chair of the state House Gaming Committee predicted that the renegotiated compact would not pass in the state legislature. Interestingly, the Committee has yet to make its recommendation to the entire House on whether to approve or reject the revised compact.Florida
Florida Legislature Calls for NIGC to Shut Down Seminole Games
Oct
22
2009
Is it really a surprise that Florida is trying to shut down the Seminoles? After all, this is the state that infamously stonewalled the Seminoles' efforts to negotiate a Class III compact for nearly two decades. Florida's stance resulted in the Supreme Court's 1996 decision that "undid" IGRA's compromise of state and tribal authority. Florida's uncompromising (and arguably illegal, if unlitigable) position also resulted in the politicization of compact "negotiations" nationally. And so it goes in Florida to this very day.Slow Down in Florida?
Sep
14
2009
Slow down. That's the message from Jeff Atwater, the president of the state senate in Florida. He says the anticipated special legislative session in October is "highly unlikely."In a letter to the state's senators, Atwater said that the question of whether to approve the revised compact reached by Gov. Charlie Crist and the Seminoles is a "complex issue" requiring "thorough analysis." Atwater called on the senate to "exercise due diligence to ensure we understand the long-term ramifications of the proposed compact."
Details of the Deal: Revised Compact in Florida
Sep
3
2009
On the day of the deadline, Florida Governor Charlie Crist inked a revised gaming compact with the Seminoles on Monday. No surprise, revenue sharing is at the heart of the deal.The revised compact gives the state a minimum annual payment of $150 million for 20 years, and up to 25% of gaming revenues. That's expected to be some $6.8 billion in state coffers. The payments to the state would be earmarked largely for public education.
A New Deal? Fla. Gov. Crist Reaches Revised Compact with Seminole Tribe
Sep
3
2009
Florida Governor Charlie Crist's revised compact with the Seminole Tribe is coming under scrutiny. After the Florida Supreme Court invalidated some provisions of the hard-fought original compact, there was something of a political stalemate as the Tribe continued operating its casino games and state officials tried to figure out what to do.The revised compact provides some exclusivity to the Tribe in exchange for revenue-sharing. But it's the politics of the deal that are drawing fire.
The state legislature will decide whether to approve the compact, likely in October. Special interest groups are urging lawmakers to take sides.
A (Rare) Informed Editorial on Indian Gaming
Dec
1
2008
An editorial in Saturday’s St. Petersburg Times offers a well-informed perspective on the current stand-off in Florida between the Seminole Tribe and state officials.After the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the governor exceeded his authority in negotiating (at long last) a compact with the Seminoles, the state has been stymied by how to enforce the court's decision. The governor negotiated table games with the tribe, and the court ruled that the games were beyond the governor's power to authorize.
Status Quo in Florida?
Oct
20
2008
Kathryn's quoted in this Tampa Tribune story on the aftermath of the Florida Supreme Court's decision invalidating a portion of the Seminoles' tribal-state compact. As we explained in a number of posts back in July (check our archives if you're interested in catching up!), the Florida Supreme Court ruled that Gov. Crist exceeded his state constitutional authority in authorizing banked card games through the tribal-state compact with the Seminoles.