New Author for Agua Caliente Bill

Back in March I stated in the "Whats Next" post that Senate leader Don Perata, D-Oakland, would be the author of the compact for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. That has changed. Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, who is a "top lieutenant" of Perata's, is now carrying the bill. Perata spokeswoman Alicia Dlugosh said, "He wants to ensure that the compacts as a group move off the Senate floor, and didn't want to be the lead on any one compact."

Unexpected strong opposition from labor helped kill the bill last year on the Assembly floor, and many blamed Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez for the deal's demise. Núñez was frustrated that Perata let the compacts out of the Senate and placed them on the his lap. Perata at the time expressed frustration that members of his caucus were forced to make a tough vote and alienate their labor allies, only to have the deal die in the Assembly. Núñez is already being squeezed this year by his friends in organized labor who are opposed to the deal and some think that Perata, by removing himself as the lead for this bill, may be hoping to take some of the pressure off Núñez and "de-escalate the tensions between himself and Núñez"

Full Story Here:
http://www.capitolweekly.net/news/article.html?article_id=1400

Wondering what a bill looks like?
The bill that contains the Agua Caliente compact is here: SB 957