Streamlined Path to Firefighting Employment for the Formerly Incarcerated
By Jay Petersen, CILS Sacramento Senior Attorney Assembly member Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-47th) of San Bernardino introduced AB 2147 in February 2020 and Governor Newsom signed the bill in early September. The law takes effect January 1st, 2021. AB 2147 represents a clear eyed and fair minded “ban-the-box” law intended to reduce unnecessary barriers to […]
An Introduction into Public Law 280
By Dorothy Alther, Executive Director If you are a California Native American chances are you have heard of Public Law 280 (PL 280) at some point in your life. But what does PL 280 really mean to you, to your tribes, and California tribal communities? The following is a short introduction and overview of PL […]
Tort Claims
CAUTION: Wet Floors = Tribal Tort Claims By Mark Vezzola, CILS Escondido Directing Attorney What is a tort? A tort is something someone does or fails to do that harms the person or property of another. Negligence, for example, is a type of tort, as is conversion, making someone else’s property your own. What do […]
Census Extension Backtrack
By Alexis Lindquist, CILS Escondido Staff Attorney American Indians were excluded from the first six censuses from 1790 through 1850. The original mandate in the US constitution excluded Indians because they were not taxed. This theory was based on the premise that American Indians had a political allegiance to their own tribes and thus were […]
Statewide Virtual Summit, “Ensuring Equitable Engagement in Regional Water Planning”
Dear Tribal Leaders and Tribal Representatives and Grant Managers, Share with your Tribal networks and other interested partners who may be interested in the “Pre-Orientation Summit”scheduled on September 10, 2020 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. This pre-orientation summit will gather partners who may not be actively involved in IRWM or other grant funding to be […]
Tribal Elections
By Mica Llerandi, CILS Escondido Staff Attorney 2020 is a big election year. With the COVID-19 pandemic, many state and tribal governments are looking to voting by mail (VBM) as a safe way to conduct elections. However, Native voter advocates raise concerns that VBM disenfranchises Native voices.[1] Tribes who are reviewing their ordinances and grappling […]
