U.S. Supreme Court To Review ‘Landmark’ Tribal Sovereignty Case Involving Yakama Nation
Listen
Last year, the Washington state Supreme Court granted the Yakama Nation the right to transport goods and services across state lines without taxation. Attorneys and tribal members called it a landmark case for tribal sovereignty. Now the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review it.
In 2013, Washington’s Department of Licensing demanded $3.6 million in taxes and fees from a Yakama Nation fuel company, so the two parties went to court.
A member of the Yakama Nation transported fuel across the Oregon-Washington border for sale at the Cougar Den—a gas station on the tribe’s reservation. He said a unique travel clause in a treaty signed with the U.S. government in 1855 exempted him from state taxes.
Only two other tribal treaties in the Northwest expressly outline the right to travel. This fall, the high court will consider whether the treaty allows tribal members to avoid state taxes when they transport goods on public highways.
Five other states filed friend of the court briefs in favor of Washington’s petition for review.
Copyright 2018 Northwest News Network
Related Stories:
Washington council approves wind farm near the Tri-Cities, slashing turbine numbers
A controversial wind farm that was set to be the largest in Washington has been slashed nearly in half. (Credit: John McIntyre / Flickr Creative Commons) Listen (Runtime 1:06) Read… Continue Reading Washington council approves wind farm near the Tri-Cities, slashing turbine numbers
Idaho doctor: Abortion access ‘integral to the practice of OB-GYN’
Idaho has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. On April 24th, the U-S Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in a case to decide whether Idaho’s ban violates a federal law mandating emergency care. Continue Reading Idaho doctor: Abortion access ‘integral to the practice of OB-GYN’
A return after seven decades: Inside the Yakama Nation’s elk hunt on the Hanford Reach
A group of elk runs from Yakama Nation hunters on the Hanford Reach National Monument in December 2023. (Credit: Star Diavolikis / Yakama Nation) Listen (Runtime 3:50) Read A video… Continue Reading A return after seven decades: Inside the Yakama Nation’s elk hunt on the Hanford Reach