Reno Declines to Enter Gambling Dispute
WASHINGTON — Atty. Gen. Janet Reno declined Wednesday to step in to mediate a dispute over gambling between Gov. Pete Wilson and most of California's Indian tribes, but encouraged tribal leaders to sue the state if negotiations continue to stagnate.
The largest group of tribal leaders to gather here in modern times exulted in the historic meeting with the nation's top law enforcer, finding hope between the lines of Reno's careful comments. Though Reno merely urged the Indians to go home and try again, they claimed she had given them permission to continue operating video gaming machines that Wilson claims are illegal. The tribes have taken Wilson to court over the issue.
"This is a new day for tribes," Mark Macarro of the Pechanga reservation outside Temecula said after the hourlong session, during which six tribal leaders sat at a U-shaped conference table headed by Reno, who diligently took notes. "We were encouraged by her response."
More than 100 other tribal representatives also attended the meeting.
But as the Indians and their new attorney--Lanny Davis, the former White House spokesman on allegations of campaign finance abuses--sought to put the best spin possible on Reno's comments, her aides and a spokesman for Wilson were quick to downplay their significance. Both described the attorney general's position as status quo, and noted that the federal government still has pending actions in court to turn off the disputed machines.
In the meeting, Reno repeatedly told the tribes that the law provides them with a "remedy"--federal lawsuits--if attempts to negotiate with Wilson falter.
"At this point, I think it is very important that both the tribes and the state sit down," she said. "There is a process here. I would like to see it pursued."
The meeting with Reno culminated a week of intense lobbying and public relations efforts by roughly 144 Indians representing at least 30 California tribes. The Indians are locked in a bitter dispute with Wilson over what kinds of games should be allowed on their reservations.
Though a 1988 federal law requires tribes to negotiate compacts with state governments in order to conduct gambling on Indian land, most tribes in California do not have such agreements.
