Here.
Legislation
LTBB Considering Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage
Proposed Oregon Administrative Rule on Native American Mascots
A couple of weeks ago, the Oregon Department of Education heard testimony on Native American Mascots in Public Schools. The post with article links is here.
Last week, the Board released a resolution and proposed rule. Other information found here includes: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – Hrg. April 27, 2012 9:00AM HRC State Capitol, 900 Court St. NE, Salem. Public comment accepted until May 17, 2012, 12:00pm email ODE.NativeAmericanMascots@state.or.us
Partisanship and the VAWA
The article from Salon is here.
Although from last year, this Slate article on partisanship seems like a nice accompaniment.
Wisconsin’s Proposed Wolf Hunt Approved by State Assembly
The New York Times has covered the State of Wisconsin’s proposal to introduce a wolf hunting season here and here. These articles bring tribal concerns over the proposed hunt to center stage. After Scott Walker approves this bill, it will be interesting to track the response that follows. In this instance, can tribal moral objections be addressed and reverse this vote via legal argumentation/legal channels? Time will likely reveal the answer to that question.
(As a side note, GLIFWC is misidentified as GLIFGC in both articles.)
NYTs Coverage of the Politics of the VAWA Reauthorization
Here. An excerpt or two:
Democrats, confident they have the political upper hand with women, insist that Republican opposition falls into a larger picture of insensitivity toward women that has progressed from abortion fights to contraception to preventive health care coverage — and now to domestic violence.
“I am furious,” said Senator Maria Cantwell, Democrat of Washington. “We’re mad, and we’re tired of it.”
And:
The legislation would continue existing grant programs to local law enforcement and battered women shelters, but would expand efforts to reach Indian tribes and rural areas. It would increase the availability of free legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, extend the definition of violence against women to include stalking, and provide training for civil and criminal court personnel to deal with families with a history of violence. It would also allow more battered illegal immigrants to claim temporary visas, and would include same-sex couples in programs for domestic violence.
Troy Eid and Thomas Heffelfinger Letter Supporting VAWA Reauthorization
Here:
Update on VAWA Reauthorization & Tribal Jurisdiction — Crunch Time
Here is some of the latest information on Congress’ efforts to Reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The VAWA Reauthorization, S. 1925, includes provisions that would restore tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians for purposes of domestic and dating violence. S. 1925 currently has 58 co-sponsors, including all 51 Ds, 2 Independents, and Republican Senators Crapo, Kirk, Murkowski, Collins, and Scott Brown. Senator Reid has indicated that he will bring the bill to the floor with 60 co-sponsors. Timing wise, it looks like mid-April, if there are 60.
As we noted on Turtle Talk in early February, Senator Grassley voiced his opposition to the tribal jurisdictional provisions. With S. 1925 close to Senate floor consideration, a small group of Republicans are pressuring Rs on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and those Rs that have co-sponsored the bill–including Senators Crapo, Murkowski, Hoeven, Johanns, McCain, and Barrasso–to oppose the tribal provisions. Specifically, they are working to strip the tribal jurisdiction provisions in Sections 904 and 905 before permitting the bill to move forward.
We are told this group is attempting to racialize the issue, by attacking the credibility of tribal courts, lack of protections to non-Indian suspects of abuse, and the suspected non-Indian abusers’ voting rights in tribal elections. Several other arguments are being raised, including: Congress doesn’t have the authority (despite Lara); flooding federal courts with habeas petitions; among others.
This group of senate offices are working behind the scenes. Now is the time for tribal attorneys, judges, and others to push to bring this historic legislation to the Senate floor, and to reach final passage in the Senate with the tribal provisions (Title IX) fully intact.
Washington Legislature Enacts Public Law 280 Retrocession Process
New Scholarship: Five Year Review of the American Indian Probate Reform Act
Diane K. Lautt has published “The American Indian Probate Reform Act: A Five-Year Review” in the Washburn Law Journal.
Turtle Talk 
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