By Will Collette
The Providence Journal reported this afternoon that RI Senator Jack Reed will oppose any effort to attach an amendment to any annual appropriations bill that would reverse the 2009 Carcieri v. Salazar decision by the Supreme Court. That decision made the Narragansetts (and many other Indian tribes) ineligible to place land in special federal trust, thus exempting those lands from the legal jurisdiction of state and local governments.
This decision was a major blow to the tribe's efforts to build a tribal casino in Rhode Island. Anti-casino advocates here in Charlestown celebrated the decision.
But the broad nature of the decision also left Indian tribes dismayed at the extent to which it eroded native tribal sovereignty and they lobbied heavily for a "Carcieri Fix." Those efforts have resulted in support from the Obama Administration and from many influential .members of Congress.
Though Reed has a tremendous amount of clout on the Senate Appropriations Committee - and his opposition to any amendment that undermines the Carcieri decision will be noted - his is not the final word.
The chair of the full Senate Appropriations Committee is Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii). Inouye is also a senior member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee which unanimously passed Carcieri fix legislation. Inouye is a strong supporter of Indian gaming and supports the Carcieri fix.