The Barona Band of Mission Indians has Spent 120,000 USD in 2022 in Lobbying Costs
Author Erin Gerhart
The Barona Band of Mission Indians (Barona Band) hired Armitage Consulting, LLC this year for a sum of 30,000 USD to lobby on their behalf. Some of the issues covered include: budget and appropriations, gambling and casinos, Indian / Native American affairs, and taxation and the Internal Revenue Code. Artimage Consulting LLC has been hired by four clients so far this year for a sum of 230,000 USD and was similarly hired by four clients last year for 445,000 USD. The two lobbyists representing the Barona Band are Larry William Werner and Lee Janger. Both have worked on similar lobbying cases with the most recent client being the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe.
The Federal Transit Administration announced 8.6 million USD in FY22 Tribal Transit Program grant awards to 25 Tribal governments.
The bill currently being championed became public law back in November of 2021, however not all provisions have gone into effect. The bill itself, H.R. 3684 the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, has several categories of provisions ranging from transportation infrastructure to motor carrying safety. The specific provisions likely of interest to the Barona Band are section four concerning Indian affairs. The section lays out seven key points that include: the use of tribal transportation funds for bridge replacements, a study of long-term viability of roadways on Indian land, expedited environmental reviews for tribal transportation safety projects, and the establishment of of an Office of Tribal Government Affairs and Assistant Secretary for the Tribal Government Affairs within the Department of Transportation. A second section of concern is Title I, the Indian Water Rights Settlement Completion Fund which establishes such a fund in the US Treasury. All monies deposited in the fund shall be authorized to accounts that can receive appropriations under the approved water rights settlement.
The Bigger Picture
Other sections of the bill that may be relevant to the Barona Band include the establishment of fixed percentages for public transportation on Indian Reservations and the support for drinking water and sanitation projects on Indian reservations. Since 2010 the total number of lobbying cases concerning the Bureau of Indian Affairs has declined, while the number of cases and monies spent on gambling and casino concerns have been on the rise since the early 2000s. The Tribal Transportation Program is currently undergoing a three year research study to determine the transportation needs, priorities, and schedule of future project deliveries.
