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Thank you for the ping Jim. I agree that this is quite problematic.

It's just amazing for me to watch what this Governor and his packed legislature are willing to ram down California citizen's throats to please special interests. Cruz is getting quite a bit of money from the Indian Casinos from what I've heard. Now this.

There are times when it almost seems wrong to elect our leaders. When they can buy votes, it is terrible. I guess the only thing worse would be not to be able to vote for them.

Can't win for losin!

The bill used to be SB 1828.

Here is more info:

SB 1828 (Burton) Sparks CMA Opposition

Industry Impact:
Purportedly designed to kill the Glamis Gold project in Imperial County, this bill gives Native American tribes veto authority over any state permit by claiming an area is "sacred" during the CEQA process.

California Mining Authority Action:
Opposition testimony before a Senate Environmental Quality Committee hearing in April came from Bill Krauss of Apex Group for CMA and from Chuck Jeannes, Glamis vice president of administration. The bill passed from committee on a 5-1-1 vote.

“Extremely broad” and a threat to land use authority processes statewide is how Executive Director Denise Jones characterizes SB 1828 in a CMA response to sponsor Sen. John Burton.

The letter points out: “Your measure states that should a Native American tribe ‘declare’ a given site sacred, the declaration is evidence… of a significant effect on the environment. In effect, this new authority would give Native American tribes the ability to stop any project simply by making a declaration.”

Of equal concern is that the “extremely broad” measure doesn’t limit veto authority to Native American properties but extends to all private and public lands in California. Jones labels as “wholly inappropriate” giving this level of authority to any third party.

Glamis Vice President Jeannes in written comments to Burton underlines the company concern for a “huge potential impact…on development of all kinds throughout California.” Such legislation, he believes, would extend “wilderness-like” protection, not just to Glamis Imperial Project site, but to vast areas of the state by giving third parties complete and unreviewable control over state permitting of any activity.”

Jeannes also sees SB 1828 as unconstitutional and unenforceable, or at least, as requiring payment of just compensation for “taking” of private property interests. Glamis has invested more than $14 million and a decade of work in the permitting process for the proposed Glamis Imperial Project gold mine in Imperial County.