Proof in Trial: Appellate Edition: Stand Up for California et al. v. U.S. Department of the Interior et al.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and IRS on Sept. 17, 2024, issued Proposed Regulations on the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2014 (the Act). The Proposed Regulations are an overdue win for Indian country,...more
A gambling compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which allows for sports betting off tribal lands, will remain in place after the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition for review filed by...more
There has been a recent decision on an interesting case involving a challenge to the ability of the federal government to provide benefits or rights to Tribes and other Native organizations....more
Recent proposed regulations seek to streamline and reduce costs for tribal land into trust applications and clarify parameters for negotiation and approval of tribal-state gaming compacts. The administrative process by...more
Subscribe and listen to Proof in Trial here: https://proofintrial.lnk.to/series A journalist facing a jail sentence for protecting her sources; a Native American tribe fighting to reclaim their land; a software company...more
In a recent span of thirty days, the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) and the Biden Administration announced no fewer than seven key policy proposals with the potential to greatly benefit tribes, tribal organizations and...more
On November 23, 2021, the US District Court for the District of Columbia invalidated a 2021 gaming compact between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the State of Florida, which permitted mobile sports wagering throughout the...more
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo v. Texas, No. 20-493: Whether the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas Restoration Act provides the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo with sovereign authority to regulate non-prohibited...more
This week: the Ninth Circuit elaborates on the Indian Gaming Regulation Act’s “two-step determination” regarding the effects of a new casino on tribal land and clarifies when a post-certification class action settlement...more
For over 20 years, the State of California has used tribal gaming compacts to accomplish what federal law and tribal sovereignty would otherwise forbid: forcing tribes to follow state labor law in their casinos. Recently...more
On January 16, 2020, the New Mexico Supreme Court issued its decision in Mendoza v. Isleta Resort and Casino, holding that a tribe does not waive its sovereign immunity to workers’ compensation claims merely by committing in...more
The Seneca Nation of Indians moved under Section 10 of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) to vacate certain arbitration awards issued in favor of the state of New York, finding that Seneca must pay the state millions in...more
Tribal Tax Codes are typically designed to impose tax on only those on-reservation transactions that the state is constitutionally prohibited from taxing. That way, a nonmember customer is not subjected to both tribal and...more
• With Democrats taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives, tax provisions affecting tribal governments and their members are once again on the table for discussion. • This notice provides an overview of seven...more
• President Donald Trump on Dec. 22, 2017, signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the first major overhaul of the U.S. tax system in over 30 years. • Although few of the enacted provisions are specific to Indian Country, several...more
Congress returned from the Thanksgiving holiday with an intense workload that must be completed by the end of the year. Tax reform remains a focus, and the Republican-controlled Congress is still committed to getting a final...more
HIGHLIGHTS: •In a recent case before the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe v. Gerlach, the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe (Tribe) won a partial, but significant, victory...more
On April 25, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion in Lewis v. Clarke, a case involving tribal sovereign immunity. The Court held that when a tribal employee is sued in his or her individual capacity, that...more
On April 25, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a much anticipated ruling, which may impact the ability of Tribes to rely on sovereign immunity in certain types of tort claims alleged against their employees....more
On April 25, 2017, by unanimous vote (8-0) vote, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Native American tribe’s sovereign immunity from lawsuits does not extend to a tribal employee sued over actions he took within the scope of...more
As the Republican-led Congress and White House move forward on the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and major tax-reform legislation, there are several new opportunities that may benefit tribal governments and their...more
The U.S. Supreme Court recently granted certiorari in Lewis v. Clarke, (No. 15-1500) addressing the issue of whether the sovereign immunity of an Indian Tribe bars individual-damages actions against tribal employees for torts...more
President Obama nominated Merrick Garland on March 16, 2016, to be an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Garland now serves as chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Despite...more
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (“MGC”) hosted a community meeting on March 1, 2016 to hear public input regarding Mass Gaming & Entertainment, LLC’s proposal to build a $677 million commercial casino in Brockton. As...more
Two separate three-judge panels of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit have rendered labor law decisions concerning Indian casinos in Michigan only 22 days apart. While each of the panels ruled that the...more