House passes Abenaki recognition bill
April 6, 2006
MONTPELIER, Vt. --The House on Thursday gave final approval to a bill granting state recogntion to Vermont's Abenaki Indians.
The action on a 130-to-1 roll call vote, with only Rep. Thomas Koch, R-Barre Town, voting no, moves the Native American tribe closer to a goal it has sought for decades.
Backers of the measure made clear that the bill would not lead to Abenaki land claims or the introduction of casino gambling in Vermont -- two issues that had been raised by opponents in the past.
Those concerns were alleviated last year when the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs said it was unlikely to grant federal recognition to the Abenaki.
The Senate passed a similar bill last year; differences between the two measures will have to be worked out in a conference committee.
Gov. James Douglas has said he will sign the bill into law.
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Last updated on April 11, 2006