Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Tribal Relations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate committee honors Legislative Commission on Indian Services on 50th anniversary; resolution sent to floor
Summary
The Senate Committee on Rules held a public hearing and work session on Senate Concurrent Resolution 31, which commends the Legislative Commission on Indian Services for its 50th anniversary. Lawmakers and tribal representatives testified in support and the committee moved the resolution to the floor with an “adopted” recommendation.
Senate leaders and tribal representatives told the Senate Committee on Rules on April 23 that the Legislative Commission on Indian Services (LCIS) has played a central role in state–tribal government-to-government relations since the mid-1970s.
Senate President Rob Wagner and co-sponsors opened the public hearing for Senate Concurrent Resolution 31 and described LCIS as the first state legislative commission of its kind in the nation. "The partnership between the tribes and the state since the founding of LCIS is something to celebrate," Wagner said during his remarks.
The resolution recognizes LCIS’s role in establishing formal consultation channels between Oregon and the nine federally recognized tribes and commemorates the commission’s work in areas including health care, education, public safety and natural-resource management. Testimony came from former and current legislators who served on LCIS, tribal representatives and Patrick Flanagan, director of LCIS, who framed the measure as a reaffirmation of state commitment to tribal sovereignty.
Former state senator Arnie Roblin recounted his longtime service on LCIS and described the commission as a forum that forced state legislators to address tribal differences and seek consensus across multiple tribal governments. Alicia McCauley delivered remarks from Carla Keene, chair of LCIS and of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, tracing LCIS’s origins to the mid-1970s and to a period when many Oregon tribes were still seeking federal recognition.
Flanagan called the commission a vehicle for government-to-government engagement and noted that legislative membership and tribal representation have changed as tribes regained recognition. Several current legislators — including Senator **** Anderson (Senate District 5, identified in testimony) — described LCIS as a place for ongoing consultation and partnership.
After public testimony, the committee closed the hearing and opened a work session on SCR 31. A motion was made to move the resolution to the Senate floor with a "be adopted" recommendation; the committee then voted to advance the measure to the full Senate.
Why this matters: LCIS is the legislature’s standing mechanism for consultation with Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes. The resolution formally recognizes 50 years of that relationship and, according to supporters, reaffirms the legislative branch’s role in sustaining government-to-government consultation.
What the committee did next: Committee members voted to send SCR 31 to the Senate floor with an adopted recommendation. The motion passed on a roll call in committee.
