For Immediate Release                    

Contact: Shawn Pensoneau

(202) 632-7003

 

NIGC Announces Speakers for Upcoming Public Session

 

Washington DC, September 14, 2006 — As announced on August 3, 2006, the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) will hold a public hearing session to continue its efforts to clearly distinguish technologically-aided Class II games from Class III “electronic or electromechanical facsimiles of any game of chance” or “slot machines” of any kind as required by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).  This public session will be held at 10:00 am, Tuesday September 19, 2006, at the Department of the Interior Main Auditorium, 1849 C Street Northwest, Washington, DC.

 

The NIGC has worked with National Tribal gaming groups including the National Indian Gaming Association, industry executives and state and local government officials to determine the makeup of each of the panels.  Each of the individuals selected for the panels were chosen for their expertise in the related panel discussion.

 

Each of the panelists will have 5 minutes to provide testimony before the NIGC.  After each panel 20 minutes will be provided for questions from the public.  Additionally, one hour of questions and answers will take place following the final panel.  As previous meetings, this hearing will be transcribed and video taped and will become an official part of the record.

 

An agenda and other information regarding the hearing are available on our website at www.nigc.gov       

 

Panels will be as follows:

 

Panel One – Tribal Leaders

Bill Anoatubby, Governor of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma

Stanley G. Jones, Chairman Tulalip Tribe of Washington

Bruce Sunchild Sr., Vice Chairman of Chippewa Cree Tribe of Montana

Margie Mejia, Chairperson, Lytton Band of Pomo Idians of California

Ray Halbritter, Nation Representative Oneida Nation on New York

 

 

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Panel Two – Government and Testing Labs

Tom Gede, Executive Director, Conference of Western Attorneys General

Sharon Reese, Deputy Director of the Washington State Gaming Commission

Nick Farley, President, Nick Farely and Associates

Drew Pawlak, Vice President, BMM Testlabs

 

Panel Three – Attorneys

Scott Crowell, Crowell Law Office

Elizabeth Homer, Homer Law Offices

Joe Webster, Hobbs, Strauss, Dean & Walker LLP

Judy Shapiro, Shapiro Law Office

 

Panel Four – Manufacturers

Knute Knudson, International Game Technology

Mark Lerner, Bally/SDG

Clifton Lind, Multi-Media Games

Ron Harris, Rocket Gaming Systems

Eric Casey, Planet Bingo

 

Panel Five – Economic Impact

Buford Rolin, Chairman, Porch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama

Michael Marchand, Business Council Chair, Confederated Tribes of the Coleville Reservation in Washington

Ernie Stevens, Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association

Alan Meister, Analysis Group of Los Angeles, NIGC Witness

 

Panel Six – Tribal Representatives

Paul Spicer, Chief, Seneca-Cayuga Nation of Oklahoma

Jim Ransom, Chief, St. Regis Mohawk Nation of New York

Rogelio Elizondo, Apichicuea, Treasurer of the Traditional Kickapoo Tribe of Texas

Erma Vizenor, Chairwoman, White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians

Chales Lombardo, Senior Vice President of Gaming Operations for the Seminole Tribe

Mark Macarro, Chairman, Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians

 

 

The NIGC will distribute press packets at the public hearing that will include background information on each NIGC panelist and further information on the public hearing process. 

 

To view notices, comments received from Tribes and others, statements and other important documents related to Class II game classification standards, please visit our website at www.nigc.gov  

 

 

 

The NIGC is an independent regulatory agency established within the Department of the Interior pursuant to the Indian Gaming regulatory Act of 1988.

 

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