Efforts to Pass SB 678 to Continue When Legislature Reconvenes in January 2006
September 14, 2005

After passing through the Senate Judiciary Committee on August 24, the bill was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee for a hearing on August 25. On that date, the Appropriations Committee voted to place the bill on the Appropriations suspense file. Although we were hopeful until the last days that the bill would move through Appropriations and reach a Senate vote before the legislative session ended on Friday, September 9, we were told that Senate President pro Tem, Senator Perata, decided that only those bills that had a chance of passing this year would proceed to the Senate floor. Since SB 678 has become a two-year bill and still needs to work its way through the Assembly, it remained on the Appropriations suspense file.

We look forward to renewing our efforts to move the bill forward when the Legislature reconvenes on January 4, 2006. In the meantime we will continue our good faith efforts to work with concerned parties on clarifying certain provisions. We hope to be able to hold a meeting for this purpose in Sacramento during the last week of September or first weeks of October. Please feel free to contact Kimberly Cluff at (800) 829-0284 for further information.

Thank you again to everyone who has helped with this effort. Remember there is still much to do. Please continue to send in support letters to Senator Ducheny and lobby your local legislators to support the bill. To learn more about the bill, visit http://www.calindian.org/tribalalert07.06.05.htm.

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