Assemblyman Bill Maze has urged the Tulare County Board of Supervisors to support the Tule River Indian Tribe's relocation of its Eagle Mountain Casino to a spot off Highway 190. 

The assemblyman, a former Tulare County supervisor, sent a letter to his forme colleagues. The letter was sent 10 days after a two-hour informational hearing on Oct. 21 to hear from those for and against the move.
"The Tule River Tribe has always maintained the moral high ground, following the Federal statute the way it was intended by Congress," Maze said in the letter.
"After consideration of the issue, I have concluded that I support the federal process going forward." 

While the supervisors have no jurisdiction over Indian gaming, the state has instructed tribes that operate gaming establishments to negotiate with counties to minimize local effects. 

Since Maze ran for the Assembly in 2002, he has received $12,000 in contributions from casino tribes, the most recent a $3,000 contribution on July 20 from the Tule River Tribal Council, the governing body of the Tule River Indian Reservation, which owns Eagle Mountain Casino. 

The Tule River Indian Reservation wants to move its casino from a secluded location 13 miles off Highway 190 on the reservation to a parcel of land it owns just off Highway 190 near Lake Success. 

The proposed Tule River Indian Resort and Casino would be less than 100,000 square feet. It would provide a larger casino, a conference center, a hotel and a bingo hall that would double as an entertainment center.
That move, which would leave the casino between Porterville and Springville, has divided nearby residents. 

More than a year ago, the Tule River Indian Tribe asked the county for its support of the casino's possible move to a parcel of tribe-owned land along Highway 190.
The supervisors have not announced when they will decide if they will support the move.