COR Senate Gov and House NRRA

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ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE

Forty-ninth Legislature – Second Regular Session

SENATE GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AND

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NATURAL RESOURCES AND RURAL AFFAIRS

COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE FOR THE SUNSET REVIEW OF

THE COMMISSION OF INDIAN AFFAIRS

Minutes of Interim Meeting

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

House Hearing Room 4 -- 10:00 a.m.

Co-Chairman Jones called the meeting to order at 10:06 a.m. and attendance was noted by the secretary.

Members Present

Senator Meg Burton Cahill	Representative Russ Jones, Co-Chairman
Senator Chuck Gray	Representative Patricia Fleming
	Representative Lynne Pancrazi
	Representative Franklin Pratt

Members Absent

Senator Jay Tibshraeny, Co-Chairman

Representative Bill Konopnicki

Co-Chairman Jones welcomed the Members and attendees. He informed them that Senator Gray will stand in for Co-Chairman Tibshraeny until he arrives. He explained that there will be presentations by staff and the Commission and then public testimony.

Gina Kash, House Assistant Research Analyst, distributed the 2010 Annual Report of the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs (Attachment 1). She explained that the Commission was created in 1953 by the 21^st Legislature to consider and study conditions among the Indians residing within the State of Arizona The Commission consists of eight ex-officio members and nine members appointed by the Governor (seven Indian and two non-Indian members). It exists to assist and support state and federal agencies in assisting Indian and tribal councils to develop mutual goals and to design projects for achieving those goals.

Kristine Thomas Firethunder, Executive Director, Commission of Indian Affairs, distributed a handout with information about the Commission (Attachment 2). She explained that the functions of the Commission of Indian Affairs are referred to as the four “Cs”: consultation, collaboration, coordination, and communication, and that her office provides those four functions in three areas: counseling, research and facilitation. There are two regular events that provide interaction between the state and the tribes: Indian Nations and Tribes Legislative Day and Arizona Indian Town Hall. She discussed the four main goals of the Commission and explained that all the functions of the Commission are performed by one individual, the Executive Director.

Representative Fleming asked if Ms. Firethunder has any staff members to help her; she replied in the negative.

Senator Burton Cahill asked which two state universities the Commission is in partnership with; she also asked why there are only two. Ms. Firethunder replied that the Commission partners with the University of Arizona and Arizona State University. She added that Northern Arizona University does have some resources available to the Commission and is actively engaged through its Center for American Indian and Economic Development.

Co-Chairman Jones asked about limitations that the Commission currently faces that could be statutorily addressed in the upcoming legislative session. Ms. Firethunder replied that she met recently with stakeholders to identify areas for improvement. She stated that one improvement would be to increase the number of Commissioners from seven to eleven members to create a new opportunity for four at-large seats which would help support the two large-scale events. She added that the capitation on the fund for the Indian Town Hall was established in 1958 as $15,000, and another improvement would be to eliminate that cap.

Lucinda Hughes-Juan, Chairman, Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs, addressed the Committee. She stressed her commitment to work with tribal nations and to support the collaborative working relationship with the Arizona state government.

Representative Fleming stated that the Native American caucus has been very productive in working with legislators.

In response to a question from Co-Chairman Jones, Ms. Hughes-Juan urged the Committee to continue the Agency.

Alberto Olivas, representing himself and as a former Commission member, stressed the importance of the role of the Commission, particularly in higher education.

Senator Burton Cahill urged research be done to address the situation wherein the Commission raises funds for charitable giving but does not have the authorization from the Legislature to distribute those funds.

Co-Chairman Jones concurred, stating that this issue and others came up in the stakeholders’ meeting. He would also like to see research into the capitation issue. He stated that there are twenty-two tribes in Arizona and only seven seats on the Commission, so not all tribes are represented on the Commission in a timely fashion.

Senator Gray moved that the Senate Government Institutions and House of Representatives Natural Resources and Rural Affairs Committee of Reference recommend to the full Legislature that the Commission of Indian Affairs be continued for five years. The motion carried by a roll call vote of
6-0-0-2 (Attachment 3).

Without objection, the meeting adjourned at 10:28 a.m.

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Jane Dooley, Committee Secretary

December 16, 2010

(Original minutes, attachments and audio on file in the Office of the Chief Clerk; video archives available at http://www.azleg.gov)

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COR - SENATE GOV AND HOUSE NRRA

December 14, 2010

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