The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on Wednesday in a case affecting a tobacco manufacturer based on the Yakama Nation in Washington. The King Mountain Tobacco Company was not a party to the multi-state Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement of 1998. A federal judge, however, said the company must comply with state laws that implement the settlement. The business contends that its on-reservation activities are protected by the Yakama Treaty of 1855. The 9th Circuit has previously ruled that the treaty guarantees the right of tribal members to bring their goods to the open market without state interference but judges questioned whether that exempts them from tobacco regulations, Courthouse News Service reported. Turtle Talk has posted documents from the lower court case, King Mt. Tobacco Co. v. McKenna. Oral arguments can be found on the Indianz.Com SoundCloud.
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