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
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a unit of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) charged with administering the Corporate Transparency Act (the CTA), on Aug. 1, 2024, held a Tribal...more
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, the big news comes from Ohio, where retail sales began on Tuesday. The Eastern Bank of Cherokee are...more
In June, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) argued in federal court that the federal Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act requires tribal retailers to obtain state licenses to sell cigarettes on their...more
On August 2, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit decided a case addressing Nebraska’s authority to require tribal cigarette manufacturers that are not parties to the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) to comply...more
On July 22, 2024, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published a Notice of Tribal Consultations (Notice) in the Federal Register related to a forthcoming proposed rulemaking affecting a number of SBA's small...more
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, North Carolina considers a medical marijuana bill. Pennsylvania makes noises about legalizing adult-use....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
On June 6, 2024, the Supreme Court issued its decision in the consolidated cases of Becerra v. San Carlos Apache Tribe (No. 23-250) and Becerra v. Northern Arapaho Tribe (No. 23-253)....more
On June 6, 2024, the US Supreme Court decided Becerra v. San Carlos Apache Tribe and Becerra v. Northern Arapaho Tribe (Nos. 23-250 and 23-253), holding that the Indian Health Service (IHS) must reimburse Native nations,...more
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 6, 2024, that the Indian Health Service (IHS) must pay contract support costs with respect to program income – payments from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers – received by tribes...more
This series has surveyed a breadth of permitting reform issues, most recently regarding tribal consultation within the United States. International mineral development permitting in or near areas of indigenous cultural and...more
On May 1, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued a sweeping decision impacting sovereign immunity for tribally-owned government contractors. The first-of-its-kind appellate decision concludes that by...more
For our clients in Indian Country, the recent Executive Order is a welcome development as Tribal Nations plan and allocate funding to future projects. On Dec. 6, during the White House Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden...more
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we have an update on South Dakota’s ballot initiative. We note the introduction of the Stop Pot Act on the...more
Recent trends in privacy legislation, including the passage of California Consumer Privacy Act, more commonly referred to as the CCPA, as well as copycat laws in at least nine other states, make clear the intention of state...more
An issue that continues to captivate the electric vehicle manufacturing and financing industry is state law that prevents vehicle manufacturers from directly selling vehicles to buyers. In many states, a vehicle must be...more
On June 22, 2023, the United States Supreme Court handed down its third decision regarding federal Indian law this term. In a 5-4 decision, the Court held that the Navajo Treaty of 1868 does not require the United States to...more
This is a story that connects some dots we might well imagine have no connection: a 19th century murder, a 21st century adoption, Native tribal sovereignty, Supreme Court Justices past and present, and a law firm where we...more
On June 29, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the Western District of Wisconsin’s decision that an entity created under tribal law was entitled to immunity as an arm of the tribe and dismissed claims characterized...more
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) anticipates releasing the Draft Designation Documents for the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. A draft proposed rule and management plan for...more
On June 15, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a significant victory to supporters of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in Haaland v. Brackeen....more
On June 22, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Arizona v. Navajo Nation, No. 21-1484, limiting the federal government’s obligation to affirmatively secure water for federally recognized Indian tribes. The...more
On June 15, 2023, the United States Supreme Court held that “the Bankruptcy Code unambiguously abrogates the sovereign immunity of all governments, including federally recognized Indian tribes.”1 In other words, Native...more
With four decisions yesterday, the Court has now cut its backlog down to the mid-teens. And with decisions likely today as well, the Court is well on its way to clearing the docket as the term ends....more