Is the new Quechan casino not obligated by California minimum wage laws? They are starting their employees at a very low $7.50 per hour. If it is in California, why are they allowed to pay their employees below minimum wage for California? — Unfair Practice, Imperial County

While we weren’t able to get in contact with anyone from the state Department of Industrial Relations by press time, we did search its Web site and frequently asked questions on minimum wage laws.

From what we could tell, there is no exemption that allows the Quechan tribe to pay casino employees below the state’s minimum wage, which as of Jan. 1, 2008, has been $8 an hour.

Exceptions that we could find had to do with contract employees; parents, spouses or children of business owners; apprentices and on-the-job trainings gigs; or those who are working but mentally or physically disabled.

No mention of employment on Indian reservations.

But it would seem to be kind of a moot point, as David Julian, executive director of marketing for Quechan Resort Casino, insists no one is getting paid less than $8.

In fact, he claims many of the nearly 1,000 workers at the new casino are getting paid well above the minimum wage.

Granted, it’s a fact we can’t confirm for certain, but we’ll take Julian’s word for it unless we hear or see proof otherwise.

We also asked Julian whether the Quechan nation, being a sovereign Indian nation, was exempt from state minimum wage laws.

He said he wasn’t sure, but, again, it wasn’t an issue because the pay is above the minimum wage laws.

We put in a call to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to ask the same question, and its communications director referred us to the National Indian Gaming Commission.

We didn’t hear back by late Tuesday, but if we find out tribes can circumvent state minimum wage laws, we’ll let our readers know.