The State of Alaska (the “State” or “Alaska”) is asking a D.C. federal judge to bar an Alaska Native tribe from operating a gaming hall in Anchorage while the State challenges federal authorization for the facility. The State...more
“Defendants [California card rooms] operate, participate in, and facilitate illegal gambling,” according to a complaint filed on April 1, 2025, by the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians (the Rincon Band) and the Santa Ynez Band...more
On April 17, 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal will hear oral argument in Pakootas v. Teck Cominco on a question that has plagued CERCLA NRD practitioners and parties for years, if not decades: whether cultural...more
On March 14, 2025, the California Court of Appeal for the First District issued the first published opinion interpreting Assembly Bill 52 (AB 52), the law governing tribal consultation procedures under the California...more
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a unit of the U.S. Department of the Treasury charged with administering the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), issued an interim final rule on March 21, 2025, that exempts...more
In part five of the Housing New Law series from Best Best & Krieger LLP (BBK), important new housing legislation for 2025 related to tribal housing, housing authorities and other bills impacting city housing programs. Below...more
On March 14, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order titled “Additional Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” which rescinded 18 previous executive orders and other presidential actions, on topics...more
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on March 24, 2025, reissued its $900 million solicitation for small modular nuclear reactors (Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor Pathway to Deployment, DE-FOA-0003485) using funds from...more
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced on March 12, 2025, that EPA will undertake 31 distinct actions in an effort to advance President Donald Trump's Day One executive orders (EOs) to...more
On January 17, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) published a request for written comments on a recently adopted treaty....more
Aspiring psychedelic business licensees in Colorado now have clarification on the ESG criteria required for natural medicine license applications, as the Colorado Natural Medicine Division (NMD) has finalized the rules for...more
FCC Solicits Comment on Amending Accessibility Rules for IVCS: In this Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) requests further comment on whether to amend its...more
The case of Lexington Insurance Company v. Suquamish Tribe has emerged as a pivotal legal battle concerning the extent of tribal jurisdiction over nonmembers. This case, which has reached the Supreme Court, challenges the...more
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has recently introduced a significant policy shift aimed at streamlining the permitting process for mineral projects on public lands....more
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, Minnesota is accepting license applications, and several tribes are looking to sell cannabis outside their...more
This past week was the first full week that all legislators were present and working in St. Paul. The House of Representatives has been playing catch-up, quickly introducing 786 bills over just three days on the floor. While...more
The State of Alaska (the State) has embarked on a significant legal journey, filing a lawsuit against the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). This lawsuit...more
In recent years, growing attention and effort has been placed on studying Indigenous economies in Canada with the aim of closing gaps in business, project, community and housing financing, ultimately closing the...more
On January 27th, the Trump administration ordered a freeze on all disbursements of federal funds through a memorandum signed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The OMB memo stated that the freeze does not apply to...more
In a historic move, President Donald J. Trump has signed a presidential memorandum directing the Secretary of the Interior to submit a plan to secure full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. This...more
Summary - Within 90 days of the Order, the Secretary of the Interior will submit a plan to the President to assist the Lumbee Tribe in obtaining full Federal recognition through legislation or other methods. The Lumbee tribe...more
Below is a compilation of Executive Orders and Actions signed by President Donald Trump....more
The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) recently published a notice of intent to adopt expedited rules and opened a 30-day public comment period. ...more
Last May, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) adopted a new treaty related genetic resources and traditional knowledge thereof (the “Treaty”). The Treaty will impose new disclosure requirements on patent...more
Nearly one hundred (100) “[d]efendants brazenly profit from illegal gambling” in California, according to a legal complaint filed by seven (7) casino-owning Native American tribes in the Superior Court of California in...more