Senate Approves Bipartisan Bill to Protect Tribal Sovereignty

DENVER, CO – Today the Senate approved Senator Jessie Danielson’s, D-Wheat Ridge, legislation to prohibit municipal annexation of lands within Tribal boundaries without the consent of the Tribe.

Cosponsored by Senator Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa, SB24-193 would prohibit a municipality from annexing lands that are within the exterior boundaries of a federally-recognized Tribal reservation unless the annexation is approved by an ordinance or resolution from the Tribal government.

“While it’s shocking that these protections don’t already exist in state law, this bill will create an important safeguard for the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes,” Danielson said. “We can’t be part of any effort to strip these Tribes of even more of their lands. This important legislation ensures that Tribal sovereignty is respected, and guarantees tribes the authority to make decisions about land within their borders.”

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe lies to the south and east of Durango, Colorado and consists of about 307,838 tribally owned acres. The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe lies within the southwest corner of Colorado and has 575,000 contiguous acres, which span into the States of New Mexico and Utah. In Colorado, the majority of the reservation consists of about 553,008 acres in Montezuma and La Plata Counties.

SB24-193 now moves to the House for further consideration. Track its progress HERE.