Senate to Vote on VAWA Feb. 11th
(AP) Senate poised to renew Violence Against Women Act
By JIM ABRAMS Associated Press WASHINGTON
“The Senate had hoped to pass its bill on Thursday, but a final vote was put off so that it could debate, and defeat, a substitute by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, that would have altered the provision on tribal courts. Grassley, saying subjecting non-Indians to Indian courts would raise significant constitutional problems, instead proposed that more federal prosecutors and magistrates be placed in Indian country for domestic violence and sexual assault cases. He would also have allowed tribes to petition a federal court for protection orders to exclude an abuser from Indian land.
A final vote on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act is now scheduled for Monday.”