Sept. 28, 2000 - Casino offramp hits a bump

By ERICA BROOKS, Staff writer

The Shingle Springs Miwok tribe's plans to build freeway access to their rancheria hit a bump in the road Tuesday when Gov. Gray Davis vetoed a bill that would have allowed them to contract directly with Caltrans.

The move is a setback, but it does not mean the proposed freeway onramps and offramps are out of the question.

"The intent of the bill was not to exclude anyone in the community," said tribal vice chairman Nick Fonseca. "The direct freeway access, which will be paid for by the tribe at no cost to taxpayers, will benefit everyone by eliminating years of tension and fighting over the use of the current road."

Fonseca referred to the single residential road through the Grassy Run community that has been the only access to the rancheria since the tribe was landlocked in the 1960s.

A court order stopped any commercial traffic from using the road, forcing the tribe to look for another way to build a casino on their land.

The proposed bill, AB 1066, would have allowed the tribe to contract with Caltrans the way cities or counties contract with the agency, in the hope of building direct freeway access to the rancheria for the proposed casino.

Opponents of AB 1066, though, including Davis, criticized the last-minute push for the bill, which passed the state Senate and the Assembly.

"Until the second to the last day of the legislative session, this bill related to the display of slot machines at trade shows," said Davis. "I have previously expressed my dislike for bills substantially amended during the waning hours of the legislative session without the benefit of public input."

El Dorado County Supervisor Ray Nutting, too, spoke strongly against the last-minute bill.

"That bill was hijacked, and it was railroaded through," he said. "It was unfair to our area."

Although the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an anti-gaming resolution after state voters approved Proposition 1A, legalizing tribal gaming, Nutting said the proposed issue is a separate debate.

"The issue has nothing to do with gambling," he said of his opposition to the bill. "The rancheria has a right to a casino. The issue is, how do they go about access?"

Elaine Whitehurst, the tribe's executive government liaison, remained optimistic about the tribe's future.

"While this opportunity may have been missed, many people are now aware of our cause and support us in our efforts," she said. "We will draw on their strength in the future and build other opportunities to bring us the access we so desperately need for the future."