Tribal-governance bill to be introduced in Senate

By Jodi Rave Lee, Lincoln Journal Star | Thursday, February 27, 2003

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

WASHINGTON — Sen. Daniel Inouye said Tuesday that a bill would be introduced before the Senate as early as next week to better protect tribes' right to self-governance.

"This bill will reaffirm the sovereign nature of tribes and will allow tribes jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases and laws," Inouye, D-Hawaii, said in a news release, adding that it could take several years to get the proposed law passed.

He made the announcement during the midwinter conference of the National Congress of American Indians this week in Washington.

Law enforcement in Indian Country has long been a complicated patchwork of federal, state, county and tribal jurisdictions where it is not always clear who can enforce the law.

The bill is also aimed at circumventing recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that experts say have undermined tribal sovereignty, a tribe's right to govern its land and people.

"We are deeply concerned about recent Supreme Court decisions which have clouded these historical relationships and blurred the lines of jurisdiction at the borders between the state and tribal lands," Tex Hall, National Congress of American Indians president, said.

The bill offers hope of easing jurisdictional disputes, Hall said.

"This is a great moment for American Indian nations," Hall said. "The NCAI has been calling upon Congress and the president to work with us to develop legislation over the past year."

Contact Jodi Rave Lee at (402) 473-7240 or jrave@journalstar.com