California Entertainment Machine Association Will Introduce Legislative Counsel Blonien At Feb 4 Meet

SACRAMENTO, CA -- The California Entertainment Machine Association has retained the services of Jarhett Blonien of Blonien & Associates Inc. to provide legislative counsel and monitor state legislation on CEMA's behalf.

Blonien will address CEMA's membership at the association's third annual Spotlight Show on Thursday, Feb. 4. The event is set for the Holiday Inn in La Mirada. CEMA members and prospective members are encouraged to attend and introduce themselves.

"Blonien & Associates brings not only extensive experience in working at the State House in Sacramento, they were at the forefront of gaming law in California, and have continued to be a dedicated ally for gaming businesses," said CEMA president Michael Martinez, N2 Entertainment (Brea). This experience, he explained, has acquainted the firm with the unique challenges confronting CEMA member companies.

Blonien & Associates is a full-service government law and lobbying firm that has represented local governments, corporations, trade associations and other entities before the California Legislature and governors' office. Founder Rod Blonien played a major role in the development of the state's first set of comprehensive gaming regulations, which ultimately became the Gambling Control Act.

Martinez reported that the firm's current principal, Jarhett Blonien, is continuing its tradition of advocacy on behalf of the state's gaming businesses, not only to ensure that they follow all applicable regulations in their business operations, but also to ensure that those regulations are fair. Prior to joining the firm, he worked in the California Department of Justice as a Deputy Attorney General.

CEMA was founded in January 2013 and established as a California nonprofit public benefit corporation in June of that year. In July, the membership elected officers. The new organization immediately appropriated $10,000 to support the Defense of Amusement Games Trust, which had been formed to represent amusement operators in opposing efforts by the state to reinterpret Section 330 of the penal code as treating prize merchandise games as "illegal devices" like slot machines. CEMA continues to strive for greater clarity and equitable treatment for the coin-op amusement industry under California law.