Delegates undecided on Council bill riders

By John Christian Hopkins
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — Call them riders on the storm.

Riders — added to legislation directly from the Council floor — have caused more than one tempest during a Council session. Some delegates see it as a way to bypass the regular committee review process and sneak legislation in for a vote without leaving time for critical analysis.

Delegates Leonard Tsosie and Raymond Maxx have taken the forefront in this, bring forth legislation that would require a supermajority — two-thirds vote — to attach amendments, or riders, to a main motion.

It’s a proposal that won’t have any easy road to travel.

The InterGovernmental Relations Committee approved it, by a scant 4-2 margin.

“This will kind of get us going toward accountability,” Maxx said, as he and Tsosie made a presentation before the Ethics & Rules Committee.

The new language would require a two-thirds vote — 59 delegates — to amend a main motion and for each rider added.

“I think we saw the result (of not having this new language in place) when we debated money for the Department of Justice,” Tsosie said. Legislation to give DOJ emergency funding failed after too many additional riders were attached to the main motion, Tsosie recalled.

In the DOJ debate, Council spent three or four hours wrangling over amendments, only to have everything fail in the end, Tsosie said.

“We wasted the Council’s time,” he added.

But Delegate Young Jeff Tom, one of the leaders in introducing floor amendments, was vehemently opposed to the new rules.

“We had fairness,” Tom said.

Council needs to adopt stronger rules to ensure accountability, Maxx said. He said ever since the Appropriations Act was passed, Council routinely waives it.

“Last session, amendment after amendment was added,” Maxx said.

A strong gust of wind suddenly blew the door to the E & R conference room open.

“See, the devil just came in — and he’s against this legislation, too,” Delegate Ernest Yazzie Jr. muttered.

“This is serious legislation,” Tsosie explained. “It’s not against discretionary spending, but how it is done.”

Many delegates vote against needed legislation because of the number of amendments added, E & R’s Jack Colorado agreed.

“Delegates have the right to bring up amendments,” Tom insisted.

The committee needs to move this bill forward and let the full Council decide, committee member Preston McCabe said.

“When something comes in from the side, I oppose it, regardless of if it benefits my community,” E & R Chairman Francis Redhouse said.

E & R split on the bill, 3-3 and Redhouse voted in the affirmative to move it on to the full Council.

John Christian Hopkins can be reached at hopkins1960@hotmail.com