MORE ON THE LAND GRAB
It turns out that HughHewitt wrote about California's outrageous "Indian sacred sites" bill way back in May. He now picks up the cause again on his blog, including a link to the earlier piece. That article's lead:
LAST FALL California Governor Gray Davis vetoed a bill the legislature had presented him--S.B. 1828. The bill would have transferred a large amount of authority over "sacred sites" to the California tribes. The definition of sacred site was broad; so too was the power that was to be transferred to Native American representatives. When the governor vetoed the bill, he proclaimed that it wasn't wise to place such enormous power in the hands of a single interest group.
The tribes have since regrouped and a new bill is moving through the legislature. If passed, it will cover every "site that is associated with the traditional beliefs, practices, lifeways, and ceremonial activities of a Native American tribe." Though dressed up in the dense language of land-use planning, the bill will empower the tribes with huge authority over private property. Consultation, avoidance, and mitigation will become watchwords in the land development process.
Read the whole thing. This sort of land use control, not labeled as such, is one reason housing costs so much in California, which is a major reason--possibly THE major reason--middle class people are leaving the state.
On his blog, Hugh promises a lawsuit if the bill becomes law and predicts that it will be overturned by the courts.