California’s Slot Machine Fight Continues

The California Legislature might be looking to the expansion of slot machines and gambling in the state as a really nice way of bringing in some extra money for the state, but they won’t be able to approve them without making some people very angry. The tribes say that they are owed the slot machines, and many agree with them. However, the labor unions are a different story.

The unions claim that the compacts do not take into consideration the needs of the workers or their ability to unionize. There are also no requirements that say that the casinos have to be independently audited, which only makes sense that they would be. Many of the objections against the slot machine compacts are actually coming from the democrats, which surprises many.

Traditionally, the Indian tribes of the state have supported the campaigns of the Democrats, enabling them to win against their Republican opponents. However, with the labor unions breathing down their backs it has been harder for them to approve the new slot machine compacts without hurting the relationships they have with the unions.

For many lawmakers, how they vote on the slot machine compacts will decide whether or not they get to keep their jobs in the years to come. The tribes bring in a lot of money for the state, and they put quite a bit of that into the campaign coffers of those they like. If you are against slot machines, you can pretty much count on your opponent taking your spot at the next election. The tribes are looking to increase their slot machine numbers from 10,000 to 32,500 – per the compacts signed by Governor Schwarzenegger.

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