Why It Matters

The Lac Courte Oreilles Band will lose funding for station WOJB, the tribe’s radio station, faces losing roughly half its $240,000 annual budget due to Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding cuts. Simultaneously, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University depends on over 80% federal funding, which the Trump administration proposed cutting by 88%.

This marks the tribe’s first entry into professional federal lobbying.

By the Numbers

By hiring Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker LLP—a firm specializing exclusively in tribal advocacy—Lac Courte Oreilles is directly responding to these crises. The tribe’s legislative priorities align with active congressional momentum, including the Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act with bipartisan sponsors such as Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS).

Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker LLP has maintained decades-long client relationships, including with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (77 disclosures) and Seminole Tribe of Florida Inc. (76 disclosures).

The lobbying team consists of three professionals: Joseph H. Webster, who generated over $880,000 in fees representing the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians; Elizabeth Bailey, focused on appropriations and tribal-specific legislation; and Carolina Maria St. Adelaide Wasinger, who represents multiple tribal organizations on appropriations and sovereignty issues.

The Agenda

Lac Courte Oreilles is lobbying on four primary federal policy areas. The tribe is advocating for the Parity for Tribal Law Enforcement Act, which grants tribal officers federal status and benefits. They’re pursuing federal appropriations for radio and Tribal Colleges and Universities. Additionally, the tribe is targeting permitting reform through the ePermit Act (H.R. 4503) and SPEED Act (H.R. 4776), as well as re-authorization of the Great American Outdoors Act.

Broader Context

The Trump administration rescinded $1.1 billion in Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding, with WOJB losing roughly half its annual budget. The tribe’s own Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University faces an 88% cut in Bureau of Indian Education funding, threatening staff layoffs and program closures. Congressional momentum exists on these issues, with bipartisan support for tribal law enforcement parity and growing recognition of tribes as co-managers of federal lands.

Between The Lines

Congressional activity directly supports the tribe’s lobbying agenda. The House Appropriations Committee held American Indian and Alaska Native Public Witness Hearings on federal funding gaps, while the Senate Indian Affairs Committee examined Native American Education. The tribe joins fellow Wisconsin tribes—including St. Croix Chippewa Indians, Lac du Flambeau Band, and Red Cliff Band—all lobbying on shared priorities.

The Bottom Line

These aren’t theoretical policy concerns—they’re existential threats to the tribe’s community institutions. By engaging Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker LLP, the tribe has positioned itself to navigate urgent legislative battles with experienced representation during a consequential congressional moment.

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