Congress Passes More Than $30 Billion in Covid-19 Relief for Tribes
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Recovery Plan Act into law. The Act provides $1.9 trillion in Covid-19 relief and includes more than $30 billion in targeted funding in support of tribal governments and tribal members. The Act passed with only...
Biden Administration Seeking Comments to Improve Tribal Consultation
On January 26, 2021, President Biden issued a “Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships.” In the memorandum, Biden wrote: “It is a priority of my Administration to make respect for Tribal sovereignty and self-governance,...
Native Law Group Attorneys Receive Best Lawyers, Colorado Super Lawyers & Denver’s Top Lawyers Recognition
Patterson Earnhart Real Bird & Wilson LLP announced today that its attorneys are recipients of three distinguished awards for 2021. The first is a national award, while the other two focus on the state of Colorado and the Denver metro area. First, U.S. News &...
U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Case That Could Have Enormous Impact on Tribal Law Enforcement
On March 23, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case that could have an enormous impact on the ability of tribes and their law enforcement officers to maintain safety on Indian reservations across the United States. The Supreme Court will hear...
USDA Publishes Final Hemp Rule
On Jan. 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule for the establishment of a domestic hemp production program. The regulations oversee the production of industrial hemp in the United States, including on Indian reservations. The Final...
D.C. Update: Hearing on Haaland Nomination; Committee Leadership Changes
The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee announced a hearing on the nomination of Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) to be the Secretary of the Interior. The hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on Feb. 23, and it will be webcast here:...
Insights: Working with a 50/50 Senate
The 2020 November election finally came to an end in mid-January 2021, with Democrats winning two U.S. Senate seats in runoff elections in Georgia. The Democrats won by increasing voter turnout beyond that of the November election. Meanwhile, Republican turnout seems...
Update: CARES Act Funding Lawsuits
Case No. 1: Ute Indian Tribe v. Mnuchin On January 8, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear an appeal of the Ute Indian Tribe v. Mnuchin case. The issue before the Supreme Court is whether the U.S. Department of the Treasury can give Alaska Native Corporations...
Biden’s First 10 Days: Covid-19 Relief and Executive Actions
President-elect Joe Biden announced an aggressive plan for the first 10 days of his administration following Inauguration Day on January 20, 2021. Proposals include $1.9 trillion in Covid-19 relief called the “American Rescue Plan,” and a series of executive actions...
SBA News: Second Draw Loans Through the Paycheck Protection Program
Following passage of the Covid-19 Relief Package in December 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) reopened the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for new PPP loan requests from eligible businesses that did not obtain a loan in the initial round. In...