NATIVE AMERICAN CAUCUS

CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
CROWN PLAZA HOTEL
BURLINGAME, CA 94010
JULY 18, 2009

Executive Board Members:

Helen Doherty, Chair (present)
Mary Ann Andreas, First Vice-Chair (absent)
Joely Proudfit, 2nd Vice-chair (absent)
Betty McMillion, Secretary, (present)
Andrew Masiel, Sr., Treasurer (present)
Kyle Crandell, So. CA Representative (absent)
Matt Franklin, No. CA Representative (absent)
Corrine Garbani, Representative at Large (present)
Ron Andrade, Political Director (present)
Mary Ellen Early, Parliamentarian (present)

Call to order: Helen Doherty, Chair 8:15 AM

Blessing: Corrine Garbani, Representative at Large
Minutes: Reviewed M/S/P
Treasurer’s Report: Chair Reported $1,242.17

Committee Reports:
Women’s Issues Forum- Betty Mc Million reported on the
Women’s Issues Forum held on June 6, 2009 at the Agua
Caliente Hotel & Resort. Over 300 people were in attendance
and 15 Legislators. Eight workshops were held and there were
three (3) Key Note Speakers: Richard Milanovich, Chairman
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, John Chiang, CA State
Controller and Judy Chu, Newly Elected Congresswoman to the
32nd CD.
Legislative Report: Ron Andrade:

BOE---BETTY YEE, JUDY CHU

As a result of the efforts of Commissioners Betty Yee and Judy Chu the
following language was in a letter sent to tribal leaders:

“Dear Tribal Leaders and interested parties:

As a result of questions raised by various tribes regarding the content
of Publication 146, Sales to
American Indians and Sales on Indian Reservations, we are in the process of revising
Publication 146.

Accordingly, a meeting is scheduled in Room 121 at 10:00 a.m. on

Wednesday, August 19, 2009, at the Board of Equalization; 450 N Street, Sacramento,
California.”

The efforts of these members of the Board of Equalization was in

response to continued inquiries of the Native American Caucus.

CURRENT BILL STATUS

MEASURE : A.B. No. 770

AUTHOR(S) : Torres (Coauthor: Ammiano).
TOPIC : Indian tribes: foster care and adoption programs.
HOUSE LOCATION : SEN
+LAST AMENDED DATE : 05/12/2009
LAST HIST. ACTION : Ordered to Special Consent Calendar.
FILE : SEN SPECIAL CONSENT CALENDAR - NO. 13
FILE DATE : 07/16/2009
ITEM : 246

TITLE : An act to add Sections 16000.5 and 16000.6 to the

Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to Indian tribes.

ACTION NEEDED: Continued support of this bill and the efforts of

Assemblywoman Norma Torres has now led to the signing of this bill in
August 2009.
Vacuum or suction dredge equipment. SB 670 (Wiggins) This
bill prohibits the use of any vacuum or suction dredge equipment in
any river, stream, or lake until the Director of the Department of Fish
and Game certifies to the Secretary of State that (1) the Department
has completed an environmental review of its existing vacuum or
suction dredge equipment regulations as ordered by the court in a
specified court action, (2) the Department has transmitted for filing
with the Secretary of State a certified copy of new regulations, and (3)
the new regulations are operative.

BILL NUMBER: SB 670 ENROLLED

PASSED THE SENATE JULY 13, 2009
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY JULY 9, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 26, 2009
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 19, 2009

INTRODUCED BY Senator Wiggins

(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Huffman)
(Coauthor: Senator Wolk)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Evans and Jones)

ACTION NEEDED: This Bill is now signed and in effect as of August

2009

H.R.2708

Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2009 (Introduced in

House)

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the `Indian Health Care
Improvement Act Amendments of 2009'.
(b) Table of Contents- The table of contents of this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
H.R.2708
Title: To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to revise and extend
that Act, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6] (introduced 6/4/2009) Cosponsors
(22)
Latest Major Action: 6/25/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status:
Committee Hearings Held.
COSPONSORS(22), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors
withdrawn]: (Sort: by date)
Rep Bono Mack, Mary [CA-45] -
Rep Baca, Joe [CA-43] - 6/4/2009
6/4/2009
Rep Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [GU] -
Rep Boren, Dan [OK-2] - 6/4/2009
6/4/2009
Rep Christensen, Donna M. [VI] -
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 6/4/2009
6/23/2009
Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] - 6/19/2009 Rep Heinrich, Martin [NM-1] - 6/4/2009
Rep Inslee, Jay [WA-1] - 6/4/2009 Rep Kagen, Steve [WI-8] - 6/4/2009
Rep Kirkpatrick, Ann [AZ-1] -
Rep Kildee, Dale E. [MI-5] - 6/4/2009
6/19/2009
Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4] -
Rep Lujan, Ben Ray [NM-3] - 6/4/2009
6/4/2009
Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] -
Rep Miller, George [CA-7] - 6/19/2009
6/19/2009
Rep Rahall, Nick J., II [WV-3] - 6/4/2009 Rep Salazar, John T. [CO-3] - 6/4/2009
Rep Schauer, Mark H. [MI-7] -
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-39] - 6/4/2009
6/4/2009
Rep Teague, Harry [NM-2] - 6/4/2009 Rep Young, Don [AK] - 6/4/2009

ACTION NEEDED: Calls need to be made to all members of the California

Delegation to insure 100% support of this bill. This is one of the
most crucial pieces of legislation for Tribes in this term.

CARCIERI DECISION
During the BIA meetings in Sacramento there was a question posed
about
the support of Senator Boxer to help fix the Carcieri decision. This is
the supreme court case restricting taking land into trust for tribes
recognized after 1934. The Tribes are asking Congress to fix the
Indian
Reorganization Language that restricts taking land into trust for those
tribes under federal recognition as of 1934. The Tribes want to sponsor
legislation to make all tribes eligible to take land into irrespective
of when they became federally recognized.
This legislation will have the support of all tribes in California
ACTION NEEDED: Request support of Senator Boxer to help support
legislation to overturn the Carcieri decision.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters introduces H.RES.
582, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that
children have a right to adequate housing.

http://www.gopetition.com/online/29057.html

Fulfilling a commitment made at the Los Angeles Field Hearing on

Afforadable Housing in March 2009, Congresswoman Maxine Waters
introduced H.RES.582 on June 25, 2009.

Hundreds of thousands of American children will be homeless over the

course of a year and millions more are living in substandard,
overcrowded, or precarious situations, placing them at heightened risk
of illness, serious injury, hunger, and educational delay. H. Res. 582 is
a reminder that an unacceptably large number of children and youth in
the country experience homelessness every year and calls for the
creation and development of programs at the federal, state, and local
levels to address the housing needs of low-income children and youth
at risk of becoming homeless.

The resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives

that--

(1) children and youth have a right to adequate housing;

(2) homelessness poses significant harm and costs to children and
youth in the United States;
(3) there are an unacceptably large number of children and youth in
the United States who experience homelessness every year, often due
to the lack of affordable housing for their families;
(4) projects that provide services to parents and other caretakers to
prevent possible homelessness of youth in crisis should be created and
maintained;
(5) programs at the Federal, State, and local levels that address the
housing needs of low-income families should be developed and
implemented; and
(6) whenever it is in their best interests, children have a right to be
housed with their families.

ACTION NEEDED: Support this bill.

BILL NUMBER: ACR 32AMENDED

BILL TEXT
 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 14, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 11, 2009

INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Miller

FEBRUARY 24, 2009

Relative to Native American tribal rights.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

ACR 32, as amended, Miller. Native American tribal rights.

This measure would reaffirm state recognition of the sovereign
status of federally recognized Indian tribes as separate and
independent governmental and political communities
within the United States, encourage all state agencies, when
engaging in activities or developing policies affecting Native
American tribal rights or trust resources, to do so in a
knowledgeable, sensitive manner that is respectful of tribal
sovereignty, and encourage all state agencies to continue to
reevaluate and improve the implementation of laws affecting Native
American tribal rights.
Fiscal committee: yes.

WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of California is committed

to strengthening and assisting Indian tribal governments in their
development and to promoting Indian self-governance; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature supports and is committed to the
enforcement of the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 (25 U.S.C. Sec.
1301 and following), which safeguards tribal sovereignty while
simultaneously ensuring that the civil rights of Indian people are
protected; and
WHEREAS, Because the Legislature recognizes and respects tribal
customs and traditions, it is important that the state government
work to preserve tribal cultures; and

ACTION NEEDED: WITHHOLD support until language regarding “the

Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968” is removed.

CURRENT BILL STATUS: SUPPORT THE REMAINING BILLS.

MEASURE : A.B. No. 544
AUTHOR(S) : Coto (Coauthors: Ammiano, Brownley, Buchanan,
Carter,
Eng, Miller, Nestande, Portantino, and Solorio).
TOPIC : Teaching credential: American Indian languages.
HOUSE LOCATION : SEN
+LAST AMENDED DATE : 07/08/2009

TYPE OF BILL :

LAST HIST. ACT. DATE: 07/08/2009

LAST HIST. ACTION : Read second time, amended, and re-referred
to Com. on
APPR.
COMM. LOCATION : SEN APPROPRIATIONS
HEARING DATE : 07/20/2009

TITLE : An act to add Section 44262.5 to the Education Code,

relating to teacher credentialing.

Tribal customary adoption. AB 1325 (Cook and Beall) Existing

federal law, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and state law govern the
placement of children who are or who may be Indian children. This bill
revises those provisions to require the juvenile court and social
workers to consider and recommend tribal customary adoption as an
additional permanent placement option, without termination of
parental rights, for a dependent child. The bill provides that a tribal
customary adoption order would have the same force and effect as an
order of adoption. By imposing new duties on social workers, the bill
imposes a state-mandated local program. The bill requires the Judicial
Council to adopt rules of court and necessary forms to implement
tribal customary adoption as a permanent plan for Indian children
before July 1, 2010. This bill provides that, if the Commission on State
Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the
state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions. Location: This bill passed committee and has
been re-referred to the Judiciary Committee with recommendation to
consent calendar. A hearing date was set for July 7, but was
postponed by the committee.

CURRENT BILL STATUS

MEASURE : S.B. No. 607

AUTHOR(S) : Ducheny (Coauthor: Senator Huff).
TOPIC : Imperial County Transportation Commission.
HOUSE LOCATION : SEN
+LAST AMENDED DATE : 04/22/2009

LAST HIST. ACT. DATE: 07/09/2009

LAST HIST. ACTION : In Senate. To enrollment.
COMM. LOCATION : ASM APPROPRIATIONS
COMM. ACTION DATE : 07/01/2009
COMM. ACTION : Do pass, to Consent Calendar.
COMM. VOTE SUMMARY : Ayes: 15Noes: 00 PASS

TITLE : An act to add Division 12.8 (commencing with Section

132800) to the Public Utilities Code, relating to
transportation.

Santa Susana State Park. AB 102 (Smyth). This bill requires the
> Director of Parks and Recreation, not later than January 1, 2012, to
> establish the Santa Susana State Park Advisory Committee, which would
> be responsible for assisting the department, in an advisory capacity,
> to plan for interim and permanent land uses and facilities through the
> general planning process for the Santa Susana Field Laboratory site in
> Ventura County. The Santa Susana Field Laboratory property in Ventura
> County plays an important role in aiding the preservation of critical
> habitat and wildlife corridors, as well as historical artifacts of
> regional, statewide, and national importance. Remarkably preserved
> Native American cave paintings exist at this site and should be
> safeguarded for future generations. This bill requires the department
> to take specified actions with respect to the development of a state
> park at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory site. Location: This bill
> has been re-referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
CURRENT BILL STATUS

MEASURE : A.B. No. 102

AUTHOR(S) : Smyth.
TOPIC : Santa Susana State Park.
HOUSE LOCATION : SEN
+LAST AMENDED DATE : 06/01/2009

LAST HIST. ACT. DATE: 06/18/2009

LAST HIST. ACTION : Referred to Coms. on N.R. & W. and RLS.
COMM. LOCATION : SEN NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER

TITLE : An act to add Section 5006.43 to the Public Resources

Code, relating to parks.

New Business:
Assembly Member Dave Jones, Candidate for Insurance
Commissioner in 2010 addressed the Caucus. He spoke
about AB 636 which he authored and which will prevent
Rogue Bus companies without proper licenses or
mechanical maintenance of their Fleet from Operating. He
also spoke about his concerns and goals for the job of
Insurance Commissioner and his background. The
Assemblymember’s rating on the NAC legislative Report
Card is a D.

Assembly Member Hector De La Torre, Candidates for

Insurance Commissioner then addressed the caucus. He
addressed his concerns over the Insurance Industry and
what he would do as Insurance Commissioner. The
Assembly Member has an A on the NAC Legislative Report
Card.

The following Candidates for other State wide offices then

addressed the caucus:

• Tom Torlakson, Candidate for State Superintendent of

Schools
• Chris Parker, Candidate for BOE District 2 in 2010 and
former tax Attorney on the Franchise Tax Board
• Mike Eng spoke for Judy Chu, Congresswoman 32nd CD and
expressed their thanks for the support of the NAC during
the recent election which Judy won.
• Alan Lofasio Staff Assistant to Betty Yee, Chair of the BOE
addressed the caucus on her behalf and reported on the
NAC issues she was currently working on.
• Majority Leader Alberto Torrico addressed the Caucus and
spoke to his candidacy for CA Attorney General in 2010.
An announcement was made by the Chair that the NAC Board
would meet immediately following the Caucus. The next
Caucus meeting will be held at the Pechanga Resort & Casino
on September 19, 2009. This caucus is being held for the
purpose of training Native American Youth and others on how
the Democratic Party Process works and how to become
members of Central Committees, Assembly Districts, DSCC
members and DNC members.

There being no other items before the body the meeting was
Adjourned.

Respectfully Submitted,

Betty McMillion
Secretary
Native American Caucus