printer friendly version
Inhofe defends tribal environmental rider
Thursday, August 18, 2005
A spokesperson for Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) said a rider restricting the environmental rights of Oklahoma tribes is needed because "Oklahoma is unique," The Native American Times reports.
At the last minute, Inhofe inserted language in the $286 billion transportation bill that blocks the Environmental Protection Agency from recognizing the sovereignty of Oklahoma tribes without the state's approval. No other tribe in the nation has to meet this requirement.
Inhofe added the rider without alerting the state or the EPA, or consulting other lawmakers, according to news reports. The spokesperson said it is needed to prevent lawsuits but the state, prior to the rider, had already sued the EPA for recognizing the Pawnee Nation's authority.
Get the Story:
Inhofe spokesman defends transportation rider
(The Native American Times 8/17)
Highway Transportation Act:
H.R.3
|
Conference
Report
Related Stories:
EPA, state unaware of tribal environmental rider
(8/15)
Tribal riders find way into transportation bill (8/11)
Rider against
Oklahoma tribes blamed on Inhofe (8/9)
Bill limits treatment as state for Oklahoma tribes
(8/1)
EPA case on tribal sovereignty
attracts attention (06/07)
Oklahoma
challenges EPA on tribal sovereignty (05/02)
EPA seeks to reduce mercury from power plants
(03/16)
EPA rulings worry tribal, state
officials in Oklahoma (07/26)
Tribal authority challenge denied
(6/4)
U.S. backs tribal
environmental rights (5/15)
Mine near Wis. reservation upheld
(1/30)
Wis. tribe has hopes after
cyanide ban (11/7)
State
fighting tribal water ruling (11/6)
Wis. might appeal Ojibwe decision
(9/25)
Challenge to tribal
authority rejected (9/24)
Court rejects challenge to tribal
authority (4/17)
EPA Budget: No
new tribal grants (4/13)
Pueblo
battles arsenic in water standard (4/16)
EPA attorney pleads guilty (06/28)
Copyright © 2000-2005 Indianz.Com