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Bill would let cities wholly within tribal lands transfer water and sewer systems to tribes if voters approve
Summary
LB 12‑50 clarifies authority for a municipality located entirely inside tribal lands to sell or transfer its water and sewer systems to a tribe when voters approve, enabling access to federal Indian Health Service sanitation funds the tribe can use; the Winnebago Tribe and local proponents described long‑standing tribal investments in the system.
Senator Nini Guerica (District 7) introduced LB 12‑50 to make explicit that a city or village wholly encompassed by tribal lands may transfer its water and sewer system to the tribe if two conditions are met: (1) the municipal political subdivision lies within tribal lands and (2) voters approve the sale or transfer by ballot. Guerica said the change responds to a local dispute and prevents state law from blocking voter‑approved transfers that would allow tribes to access federal sanitation funding available only to tribal entities.
Trey Blackhawk, a member of the Winnebago tribal council, told the committee the tribe has invested approximately $17 million in water and sewer projects since the 1970s and has additional federal projects pending, and that voters in the Village of Winnebago had approved consolidation by a roughly 70% margin. Supporters said consolidating ownership would streamline operations, allow tribal access to Indian Health Service funds, and permit the tribe to continue improving infrastructure for all residents.
Lawmakers asked practical questions about service rates, whether nontribal village residents would face different charges after a transfer, and how the systems are configured across reservation and village boundaries. Proponents said the tribe expects rates to remain comparable and that the change is limited in scope to municipalities that sit entirely within reservation boundaries. The committee collected follow‑up questions and noted online testimony before closing the hearing.
