At the close of a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs oversight hearing Thursday (July 27), Chair Dan Akaka made this announcement:

As always, it is our job on the Committee to make sure tribes achieve parity in any federal legislation and to amplify the voices of Native peoples so that their concerns are heard in the halls of Congress. That is why I have developed a draft online gaming bill — the Tribal Online Gaming Act of 2012. This bill is intended to further the dialogue with tribes, my colleagues here in the Senate, and other affected stakeholders. 

In a press release Akaka noted, “Gaming has been the single most effective form of economic development for Indian Country. Revenues from gaming provide essential services to tribal members, including education, healthcare, and housing. Indian gaming also provides jobs to members of the surrounding communities. In many counties across the nation, tribes are the largest employer, with nearly 75%  of those jobs going to non-Indians.”

—Chad Blair

Photo of Sandia Pueblo Indian Casino and Hotel, Albuquerque, courtesy OpenThreads.