"While on the campaign trail this year, one of my promises was to allocate more money to contract health services so our people are not turned away when needing glasses, dentures, hearing aids or prosthetics.

I am proud to say that promise has been kept thanks to the Tribal Council’s decision on Nov. 14 to pass the Cherokee Nation Corporation Health Dividend Act of 2011, which increases the percentage of casino profits that are given back directly to the government.

With this new law, we now receive 35 percent of our corporations’ profits, up from 30 percent. That extra 5 percent is exclusively earmarked for contract health services for CN citizens across the 14-county jurisdiction."

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Bill John Baker: A campaign promise kept (The Cherokee Phoenix 12/14)