A final vote on a bill to exempt tribal casinos from federal labor law is expected in February, The Washington Examiner reports.
The vote is being timed with the upcoming winter session of the National Congress of American Indians, according to The Examiner. The meeting takes place February 12-15 in Washington, D.C. Though the Senate has never voted on the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act, a Democratic source told The Examiner that the measure is gaining steam. Republicans already support the effort. "There are plenty of Senate Democrats who will support this," the source was quoted as saying. "There are members who are very divided. It forces Democrats to choose between two constituencies: unions and the tribes." Republicans in the House added the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act to an unrelated bill that passed their chamber on January 10. But S.140 must still clear the Senate before it can be sent to President Donald Trump for his signature. The bill exempts tribes and their businesses from the National Labor Relations Act. States and local governments are already exempt and can enact their own labor laws. The stand-alone version of the bill was introduced as H.R. 986 and S.63. Read More on the Story: