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Final votes may come soon on La Paz Lands
Senate, House set to consider vote; CRIT members lobby in Washington
After years of work, final votes may be near in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate on the return of the 16,000-acre La Paz Lands to CRIT.
A delegation from CRIT including Tribal Councilmembers Sylvia Homer, Ray Aspa and Valerie Welsh-Tahbo travelled to Washington in late February to meet with key congressional staff members and Congressmen.
They met with members of the Indian Affairs Committee and their staffers, as well as Congressman Raul Grijalva and Senator Jon Kyl from Arizona's congressional delegation. Legislation to return the La Paz Lands to CRIT was introduced in the Senate in early March, and passed through the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to the floor of the Senate.
The bill was also reintroduced in the House of Representatives, where it passed last year but had to be reintroduced for technical reasons. As of press time, the House version was being considered by the House Resources Committee. While the legislative process can be unpredictable, CRITlobbyists are optimistic about the bill's chances in both the House and Senate, and hope that final votes may be taken in the near future. If passed by the House and Senate, the bill would be sent to President George W. Bush for his signature, and if signed, would then become law, finally returning the La Paz Lands to CRIT. "We're getting closer and closer to our eventual goal of having the La Paz Lands returned to our people," said Tribal Chairman Daniel Eddy, Jr.
"Thanks to the support of our congressional delegation, including Congressman Grijalva and Senator Kyl, and thanks to the efforts of our council members who travelled to Washington, the finish line is within site." Further updates on the status of the La Paz Lands will be made available on CRIT's new Tribal web site, www.critonline.com.
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