As I predicted, yesterday the New Mexico House passed the Navajo gambling compacts after three hours of debate by a vote of 36 to 30, a bit closer than I suspected.
Today, after about an hour and a half of debate, arguing the main points I made in the previous action alert about “no more casinos,” and the reduced casino liability issue, the New Mexico Senate surprised most of us by a very lopsided defeat for the Navajo compact. The vote was 31 against and 11 for the compacts.
In this case we had some help from the other pueblos and tribes who were opposed to more casinos, but I know a very heavy tide of calls went into the legislators. I know of at least several thousand Action Alerts that went out, most to churches or action groups, many of whom sent out Action Alerts to their email networks.
GOOD WORK!!
p.s., They’ll be back next year, and I predict they will probably get new compacts, but without three additional casinos.
Dr. Guy Clark