Navajo Nation session to decide casino alcohol sale

By John Christian Hopkins
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — It took some time and a lot of patience, but the Navajo Nation Council’s winter session agenda was set by the Ethics & Rules Committee Friday.

The winter session will be Jan. 28-Feb. 1.

“I’d like to table this,” E & R Vice Chairman Roscoe Smith said. “Items F, H and I are out of order.”

However, since the legislation was tabled once before, a second tabling would kill it, Smith noted. The problem was that several items on the agenda lacked all the necessary paperwork, Smith said.

“All legislation that is going before the council has to be a full packet,” E & R Chairman Francis Redhouse said.

“Right now, three legislations don’t have committee reports attached.”

That left the committee with a dilemma.

“It’s up to you,” Redhouse told the committee. “You can delete it, and then we can bring it back up. Is that correct?”

“I don’t know if it’s correct, but it’s acceptable,” Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan said.

The legislation was pushed back to the end of the agenda, as E & R went on with other business.

The speaker’s legislation wasn’t the only one not quite ready, and the delays irked committee members.

“Ethics & Rules meets at 10 a.m., if you want legislation to go through, be here at 10 a.m.,” E & R’s Joe M. Lee admonished delegates who arrived late or unprepared for the meeting. “I think this one time we’ll be nice to you.

Next time, if you come late – even if you get on your knees – we’ll just delete it.”

“When it’s incomplete, it’s incomplete – whether it’s one page or not,” Redhouse said.

One old business item on the winter session agenda, has popped up off and on for quite some time, Morgan said. It’s the issue of the 999 employees and awarding them back pay and making them eligible for future cost of living increases.

Other items on the agenda include:

• A bill sponsored by Ernest D. Yazzie, Jr. to amend Title 17 of the Navajo nation Code to allow the transportation, sale, delivery, and consumption of alcoholic beverages at duly authorized Navajo casinos.
• Legislation by Willie Tracey to require quarterly reports from the two leaders of the Navajo Nation, the Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council and from the Navajo Nation President.
• The council will also confirm the appointment of Quincy L. Natay to serve a three-year term as a board member to the Board of Directors for the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise.
• Two chapters will also seek name changes. Sweetwater Chapter looks to change its name to Tólikan Chapter, and Kaibeto Chapter wants to become K’ai’bii’to. The legislation is sponsored by Kee Yazzie Mann.

Among the oral or written reports will be a State of the Nation address by President Joe Shirley Jr., reports from the speaker, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Regional Director, Chief Justice Herb Yazzie and reports from the Nation’s standing committees, the boards and commissions.

An oral report will also be given by the U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi, who represents Congressional District 1.

Another report will be given by Steve Owens, director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.