ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Senate moved Tuesday to restore voting rights to convicted felons as soon as they get out of prison instead of continuing to require them to complete their parole before they can cast a ballot. The Senate took up the “Restore the Vote” bill less than a week after the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld…
By: Jeannie Kopstein WASHINGTON, D.C. (KVRR) — Two Native American tribes are suing North Dakota over newly drawn political boundaries they argue illegally dilute votes from indigenous communities. North Dakota’s Turtle Mountain and Spirit Lake tribes filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court last month. It alleges that the map does not comply with section two of the Voting Rights…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KVRR) — New bipartisan sports betting legislation would bring about the most significant change to Minnesota’s gaming laws in many years. The bill is being introduced by state Rep. Pat Garofalo of Farmington, a Republican, and state Rep. Zack Stephenson of Coon Rapids, a Democrat. It seeks to replace illicit gaming with a regulated market for Minnesotans…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A bill named for a Fargo murder victim to address cases of missing and murdered Native Americans is heading to President Trump’s desk. Savanna’s Act, which is named for Savanna Greywind, was just passed by the House after it passed in the Senate earlier this year. The bill was introduced by former Senator Heidi Heitkamp last Congress…
BISMARCK, N.D.–North Dakota has reached a proposed settlement with American Indians who sued over the state’s voter ID laws. The proposed federal consent decree announced jointly Thursday by tribal lawyers and the state comes after a federal judge ruled tribes have a right to challenge the state’s requirement that voters have ID with a verified street address. Native Americans have…
ST. PAUL, Minn.–Minnesota’s legislative auditor says “troubling dysfunction” at the Department of Human Services resulted in $29 million in overpayments to two tribes for opioid treatment programs. The auditor’s office said in a report Tuesday the agency lacked authority to make the payments, no one at the department takes responsibility for the decision, and no one can provide a rationale…
FARGO, N.D. — Twelve Native American tribes gathered at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse at NDSU for the 29th annual Woodlands and High Plains Powwow. The theme of this year’s gathering is “Celebrating Life. Creating Our Future.” The twelve tribes hail from four different states, with some coming from Canada. Due to the cultural and spiritual aspects of the event, some view…
REGIONAL — Three more Native American tribes in the Dakotas are suing opioid manufacturers and distributors. The tribes allege that they concealed and minimized the addiction risk of prescription drugs. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe and the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate sued 24 opioid industry groups in federal court on Monday. The lawsuit follows more than 70…
BISMARCK, ND — The five federally recognized American Indian tribes in North Dakota have endorsed longtime Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Hochhalter to be the state’s next top federal prosecutor. The move followed tribal officials’ interviews of Hochhalter and competitor Drew Wrigley. Standing Rock Chairman Dave Archambault says he was influenced by statements made by Wrigley that protests against the Dakota…
NORTH DAKOTA — North Dakota tribes are asking the state for more help to fight addiction on the reservations. Officials with multiple treatment centers on the reservations say the tribes have lost touch with the state on drug issues over the years. They are hoping to revive interest in fighting addiction after the first lady says she it is…
