SJR 21
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A JOINT RESOLUTION
APPROVING THE NEGOTIATED AMENDMENTS TO EXISTING TRIBAL-STATE
CLASS III GAMING COMPACTS TO BE ENTERED INTO BY THE GOVERNOR
OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO AND THE PUEBLOS OF ISLETA, LAGUNA,
SANDIA, SAN FELIPE, SANTA ANA, SANTA CLARA, TAOS AND TESUQUE
AND WITH OHKAY OWINGEH AND THE JICARILLA APACHE NATION.
WHEREAS, the Compact Negotiation Act authorizes the
governor to negotiate the terms of compacts between the state
and Indian nations, tribes and pueblos located in New Mexico,
referred to as "tribes" herein, for the conduct of class III
gaming pursuant to the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act;
and
WHEREAS, in 2001, a negotiated compact for class III
gaming was approved by the legislature and by the United
States department of the interior, and was entered into by
the governor on behalf of the state with each of the gaming
tribes in New Mexico; and
WHEREAS, the Compact Negotiation Act provides for
legislative involvement in the negotiation process through
the deliberations of the legislative committee on compacts
and by requiring the approval of amendments to a compact by a
majority vote of both houses of the legislature on a joint
resolution approving the amendments before the amendments may
be executed by the governor; and
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WHEREAS, Governor Bill Richardson on January 26, 2007
submitted to the legislative committee on compacts proposed
amendments to the compact adopted in 2001, including an
appendix to the 2001 compacts that clarified certain issues,
that were negotiated on behalf of the state with eleven
tribes who requested negotiations pursuant to the Compact
Negotiation Act; and
WHEREAS, the legislative committee on compacts reviewed
the proposed amendments to the compacts from ten tribes and
requested the governor to resume negotiations with the tribes
to consider one amendment; and
WHEREAS, the amendment was rejected; however, additional
amendments were negotiated by the tribes and the governor,
and all amendments were approved by the legislative committee
on compacts on March 7, 2007; and
WHEREAS, the Compact Negotiation Act allows the
legislature to approve more than one tribe's compact or
amendments in a single resolution if the terms of the
compacts or amendments are identical, except for the names of
the tribes and the persons executing the proposed amendments
to the compacts; and
WHEREAS, the Compact Negotiation Act allows the governor
to execute additional amendments identical to those approved
pursuant to that act without submitting the identical
amendments for legislative approval; and
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WHEREAS, the legislative committee on compacts has
reviewed and considered the proposed amendments negotiated
and agreed upon by the governor and the Pueblos of Isleta,
Laguna, Sandia, San Felipe, Santa Ana, Santa Clara, Taos and
Tesuque, Ohkay Owingeh and the Jicarilla Apache Nation and,
based upon those deliberations and pursuant to the Compact
Negotiation Act, hereby submits those proposed amendments to
the class III gaming compact approved by the legislature in
2001 with its recommendation that the amendments be approved
by the full legislature;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the proposed amendments to the 2001
class III tribal-state gaming compacts, attached hereto,
submitted to the legislative committee on compacts on January
26, 2007, as further amended and submitted on March 5, 2007,
negotiated and agreed to by the state and the Pueblos of
Isleta, Laguna, Sandia, San Felipe, Santa Ana, Santa Clara,
Taos and Tesuque, Ohkay Owingeh and the Jicarilla Apache
Nation, be hereby approved.