And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Please contact the representatives from your state to ask that they strongly oppose this bill. It further erodes land base of the Tribes. SEE: http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/index2.htm for a link to representatives in your state Ish ~~~~~~~~~ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Sat, 5 Jun 1999 16:00:36 EDT Tax and Economic Development Update June 02, 1999 Analysis of New Istook Bill. While not the sponsor, Representative Ernest Istook (R-OK) is the primary motivator behind H.R. 1814 introduced by Representative Peter Visclosky (D-IN) and twenty other House members. Like past versions of this legislation, H.R. 1814 attempts to link lands into trust to the collection of state sales taxes. However, unlike previous versions, H.R. 1814 goes after existing lands into trust, not future applications as we reported earlier this month. Under H.R. 1814, the Department of Interior ("DOI") is charged with developing a certification process to determine if all tribal or Indian owned retail establishments on Indian land are in compliance and have paid in full all state retail taxes. If the tribe is "certified" to be in compliance, any grants pending approval by federal agencies would be given "priority" status. (The sponsors refer to this priority as an incentive, but do not define or outline exactly what priority means.) If a tribal or Indian-owned retail establishment is found not to be in compliance, then the state could petition the DOI to remove the land that the retail establishment sits upon from trust status. The affected tribe would have the right to a public hearing on the manner before the Secretary. However, unless the tribe pays the state what it "owes" or enters into a compact with the state for collection of the state taxes, DOI would remove that land from trust status. Trust status can be restored if a tribe makes payments to a state for not less than one year or it has entered into an agreement with a state to make such payments. The loss of trust status would not affect the eligibility of benefits or services to the tribe or individual in the area removed from trust status. The new approach taken by H.R. 1814 and its sponsors has the potential to persuade new House members who have no record on the issue of lands into trust and those House members who have a back and forth record the issue to vote for the bill in, either stand alone form or as an amendment to an appropriations bill. We strongly encourage tribes and tribal supporters to educate new House members about this issue and oppose H.R. 1814. Copyright © 1999 LEGI\X Company, Inc. Reprinted under the fair use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
