Tribes eligible for joint agreements

The joint powers statute allowing government entities to enter into agreements of mutual benefit lists cities, states, counties, school districts, the University of Minnesota, certain nonprofit hospitals and rehabilitation facilities, and other entities as eligible to enter into agreements.

Rep. Bill Hilty (DFL-Finlayson) sponsors HF2797 that would add federally recognized American Indian tribes to the list of eligible entities.

“Tribes are now in a position to help develop cooperative and cost-effective solutions to health care, education, transportation emergency management, emergency response and economic development challenges along with local governments in the state of Minnesota,” said Tad Johnson, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe special counsel on government affairs.

Johnson said the bill would authorize tribes to fully participate in a variety of statutory agreements as varied as allowing barbers to count hours cutting hair on a reservation toward their licensing requirements, to voting membership in the NLX Alliance, a group of stakeholders in a proposed railroad project from the Twin Cities to Duluth, part of which goes through tribal land.

“They accepted our dues of $48,000, but soon discovered we couldn’t vote without this statutory change,” Johnson said.

The division approved an amendment adding the Minnesota Historical Society to the list. This aligns the bill with its Senate companion.

Approved Feb. 22 by the House Local Government Division, the bill was sent to the House State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections Committee. A companion, SF2259, sponsored by Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope), passed the Senate Feb. 25.