- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Tulalip Tribes have reached an agreement that could end a federal lawsuit and allow it to begin collecting a portion of the tax receipts generated by the shopping center that borders its reservation.
The agreement between the Tulalip Tribes, the state of Washington and Snohomish County is an important step to resolve a five-year legal battle over who is entitled to collect sales tax at the Quil Ceda Village shopping mall in Tulalip, Wash. Under the agreement, the Tribes would receive a cut of the state’s sales tax collected.
As part of the agreement, the Tribes will invest $35 million to build a 48-be civil commitment center in Snohomish County.
Terms of the agreement are contained in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the tribes, the county and the state. First, lawmakers need to grant Gov. Jay Inslee the authority to negotiate a tax-sharing compact with the Tulalips and other tribes in the state.
Lawmakers in the state House and Senate held hearings last week to consider bills that would grant Inslee that authority.
The Tulalip Tribes originally filed the suit to assert their sovereign rights and stop the state and country collecting sales tax at Quil Ceda Village. In 2018, after a federal judge ruled in favor of the state and county, the Tribes appealed the ruling.
More Stories Like This
American Basketball Association Announces Native ABA InitiativeFour Winds South Bend Upgrades to Class III Gaming Casino
Native News Online Wins Two Awards from Native American Journalists Association
Wahlberg Brothers Are a Big Hit at Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention in Las Vegas
Native Gro Offers Tribes a ‘One-Stop Shop’ for Entering the Cannabis Industry
These stories must be heard.
This May, we are highlighting our coverage of Indian boarding schools and their generational impact on Native families and Native communities. Giving survivors of boarding schools and their descendants the opportunity to share their stories is an important step toward healing — not just because they are speaking, but because they are being heard. Their stories must be heard. Help our efforts to make sure Native stories and Native voices are heard in 2024. Please consider a recurring donation to help fund our ongoing coverage of Indian boarding schools. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous-centered journalism. Thank you.