Wyoming bill appears to overturn victory in Indian voting case

Friday, February 11, 2011  

A bill moving quickly through the Wyoming Legislature appears to go against members of two tribes who won an Indian voting rights case.

The bill allows counties to create a combination of single-member and at-large districts. That goes against a federal judge who ordered Fremont County to create a single-member system in order to protect the rights of members of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and the Northern Arapaho Tribe

Gary Collins, an Arapaho man who is a plaintiff in the case, said Senate File 14 is “not a good bill. It’s a hybrid," The Casper Star-Tribune reported.

A Republican lawmaker, however, claimed the bill was not intended to overturn the court decision.

Get the Story:
Wyoming House panel OKs county commission election districts bill (The Casper Star-Tribune 2/11)

Lawsuit Documents:
Large v. Fremont County (ACLU)

Related Stories:
Legal group behind voting rights case known as 'Indian fighters' (12/1) Editorial: County should stop discrimination against Indian vote (11/16)
Wyoming county proceeds with appeal in Indian voting rights suit (11/5)
Costs for Indian voting rights lawsuit in Wyoming pass $1M mark (9/27)
Wyoming county files notice of appeal in Indian voting rights case (09/07)
WyoFile: Voting rights a case of discrimination on reservation (8/12)
Wyoming county to appeal decision in Indian voting rights lawsuit (8/26)
Wyoming county ordered to draw districts in Indian voting case (8/11)
Judge promises ruling in Indian voting rights lawsuit in Wyoming (7/28)
Wyoming county submits plans in Indian voting rights lawsuit (6/25)
Judge won't allow county to avoid Indian voting rights ruling (6/11)
County delaying election after losing Indian voting lawsuit (6/3)
Editorial: County should follow Indian voting rights decision (6/1)
Plaintiffs in voting rights case seek district for reservation (5/4)
Editorial: Wyoming Indians win major voting rights ruling (5/3)