Nov 19, 2010

Senate OKs $4.5B to settle claims by black farmers, American Indians

05:25 PM

After months of partisan wrangling, the Senate has approved $1.15 billion to settle discrimination claims brought by black farmers against the Agriculture Department and $3.4 billion for American Indians who said the Interior Department had swindled them out of royalties since the 19th century.

The legislation, approved by unanimous consent, also includes a one-year extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and several American Indian water rights settlements sought by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), the Associated Press says.

To pay for the entire measure, money would be diverted from a surplus in nutrition programs for women and children and by extending customs user fees.

"The passage of this bill is long overdue," said John Boyd, head of the National Black Farmers Association. "Twenty-six years justice is in sight for our nation's black farmers."

The AP explains:

For the black farmers, it is the second round of funding from a class-action lawsuit originally settled in 1999 over allegations of widespread discrimination by local Agriculture Department offices in awarding loans and other aid. It is known as the Pigford case, named after Timothy Pigford, a black farmer from North Carolina who was an original plaintiff.

The federal government already has paid out more than $1 billion to about 16,000 farmers, with most getting payments of about $50,000. The new money is intended for people — some estimates say 70,000 or 80,000 — who were denied earlier payments because they missed deadlines for filing. The amount of money each would get depends on how many claims are successfully filed.

At least 300,000 Americans Indians said that since 1887 the Interior Department had mismanaged royalties for oil, gas, grazing and timber.

The bill now goes to the House, which is expected to approve it after Congress returns from its Thanksgiving-week recess.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... -indians/1