Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00259/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00259-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 25:640 Indian Tribal Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SUSANVILLE INDIAN RANCHERIA, )

)

) 2:07-cv-259-GEB-DAD

Plaintiff, )

) ORDER

v. )

)

MIKE LEAVITT, Secretary of the )

United States Department of )

Health and Human Services; )

CHARLES W. GRIM, Director of )

the Indian Health Service; and )

MARGO KERRIGAN, Area Director of )

the California Area Office of )

the Indian Health Service; )

)

Defendants. )

)

After 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 9, 2007, Plaintiff filed

a motion for a temporary restraining order (“TRO”) and a motion for a

preliminary injunction in which Plaintiff requests that Defendants be

“restrained and enjoined from excluding the Tribe’s pharmacy services

component from the programs authorized under the Tribe’s

self-governance Compact and Calendar Year 2007 Funding Agreement,

which by operation of law went into effect on January 29, 2007, and

[be] directed to sign the Compact and CY 2007 Funding Agreement and

provide such funding as is authorized under these agreements without

Case 2:07-cv-00259-GEB-DAD Document 17 Filed 02/14/07 Page 1 of 3
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imposing any condition that would prevent the Tribe from charging

beneficiaries for services.” (Pl.’s Proposed TRO at 1-2.) An order

issued late February 9, 2007 requiring Defendants to file a response

to Plaintiff’s TRO no later than 12:00 p.m. on February 13, 2007. A

hearing on the TRO commenced at 1:00 p.m. on February 14, 2007, and

ended at approximately 3:10 p.m. 

During the hearing, Defendants agreed to further extend the

parties’ 2006 Annual Funding Agreement, which expires on February 15,

2007, until the Court issues a ruling on Plaintiff’s motion for a

preliminary injunction. Plaintiff rejected that offer through a

counter-offer in which Plaintiff sought to require Defendants to sign

the 2007 Compact and Funding Agreement (which Plaintiff contends went

into effect, without the pharmacy services provision, by operation of

law on January 29, 2007) or to provide assurances that the portions of

the 2007 Compact and Funding Agreement that the parties have already

agreed upon will not be modified. Plaintiff agreed to extend only the

pharmacy services provision of the 2006 Annual Funding Agreement. 

Defendants rejected Plaintiff’s counter-offer. Defendants also argued

that the 2007 Compact and Funding Agreement that Plaintiff contends

went into effect on January 29, 2007, is not effective because the

Compact has not been signed due to Plaintiff’s failure to comply with

25 U.S.C. § 458aaa-6(c)(1)(D). 

Because it appears that the status quo will change

significantly as of tomorrow when the 2006 Annual Funding Agreement

expires, and because Plaintiff’s TRO motion raises complicated

statutory interpretation issues that cannot reasonably be resolved

before then, the status quo will be preserved as agreed by Defendants

at the hearing; therefore, the 2006 Annual Funding Agreement is

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extended until a ruling on Plaintiff’s motion for preliminary

injunction issues. 

A hearing will be held on Plaintiff’s motion for a

preliminary injunction on February 26, 2007, at 2:00 p.m. Defendants

shall file a response to Plaintiff’s motion no later than 4:30 p.m. on

February 20, 2007, and Plaintiff shall file a reply no later than 4:30

p.m. on February 22, 2007. 

Further, since the parties appeared to agree at the hearing

to an expedited briefing schedule for summary judgment motions, each

side’s summary judgment motion shall be filed no later than March 6,

2007; oppositions shall be filed no later than March 20, 2007; replies

shall be filed no later than March 27, 2007; and a hearing shall be

held on April 2, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 14, 2007

 

GARLAND E. BURRELL, JR.

United States District Judge

Case 2:07-cv-00259-GEB-DAD Document 17 Filed 02/14/07 Page 3 of 3