In one of the last actions of the California Senate Assembly before adjourning for the year, SB18 – the Traditional Tribal Cultural Site Bill, failed to get enough votes to pass in the Assembly. Senator John Burton (D, San Francisco), kept the legislature in session until 1:30 AM in hopes of passing the bill, which would have established a Traditional Tribal Cultural Site (TTCS) Register. The proposed legislation was an amendment to an existing law that established the state’s Native American Heritage Commission. It would have authorized the commission to bring legal action to prevent severe and irreparable damage to (and ensure access for California Indians to) a Native American sanctified cemetery, place of worship, religious or ceremonial site, or sacred shrine located on public property. Read the full bill text here.