BISMARCK, N.D. -- Some North Dakota lawmakers say the Three Affiliated Tribes deserves a greater share of the taxes collected from reservation oil production.
But they're not willing to endorse a tribal proposal to increase their tax share. The tribe and state now split the money evenly. The tribe wants to boost its share to 80 percent of the oil taxes from tribal land.
The Legislature's Tribal and State Relations Committee reviewed the idea. Lansford Sen. David O'Connell is the committee's chairman. He says the panel didn't approve the 80 percent split, but he's expecting the Legislature will see the proposal next year.
Fargo Rep. Jim Kasper says the tribe should get a bigger share of the reservation's oil tax money, but he says the entire Legislature needs to debate the question.