The House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing this morning to discuss a fix to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar.

The decision restricts the land-into-trust process to tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction"in 1934. H.R.3697 and H.R.3742 amend the Indian Reorganization Act to ensure that all tribes, regardless of the date of recognition, can benefit.

The Obama administration testified in support of both bills. Tribal leaders also strongly supported a fix.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Steven Woodside, the counsel for Sonoma County, California, who testified on behalf of the California State Association of Counties opposed a fix unless it addresses other land-into-trust issues such as tax impacts on local and state governments.

The hearing lasted about 2 hours and 15 minutes. You can download audio clips below:

• Opening Statements

Panel 1 - Testimony | Q&A
The Honorable Michael Arcuri
The Honorable Tom Cole

Panel 2 - Testimony | Q&A
Mr. Donald Laverdure
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior

Panel 3 - Testimony Part 1 | Testimony Part 2 | Q&A
The Honorable Bill Iyall
Chairman, Cowlitz Indian Tribe

The Honorable Janice Mabee
Chairman, Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe

The Honorable Sandra Klineburger
Chairwoman, Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians

The Honorable Richard Blumenthal
Attorney General of Connecticut

Mr. Steven Woodside
Sonoma County Counsel, On behalf of the California State Association of Counties

Mr. Riyaz Kanji
Kanji & Katzen, On behalf of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians

Committee Notice:
Full Committee Legislative Hearing On H.R. 3742 And H.R. 3697 (November 4, 2009)

Land-Into-Trust Fix:
S.1703 | H.R.3697 | H.R.3742

Supreme Court Decision:
Syllabus | Opinion [Thomas] | Concurrence [Breyer] | Dissent [Stevens] | Concurrence/Dissent [Souter]

Supreme Court Documents:
Oral Argument Transcript | Briefs

Related Stories:
Obama administration supports land-into-trust fix (11/4)
Witness list for House hearing on land-into-trust (11/3)
House Resources hearing on land-into-trust fix (10/29)
Schwarzennegger opposes Lytton land-into-trust (10/26)
Byron Dorgan: Urgent fix to land-into-trust ruling (10/22)
Towns in Connecticut fight land-into-trust fix (10/14)
Anti-gaming group fights land-into-trust fix (10/6)
Cole introduces fix to land-into-trust decision (10/2)
Land-into-trust bill lacks Republican sponsors (9/29)
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe welcomes land fix (9/25)
Dorgan introduces fix to land-into-trust ruling (9/24)