Greetings Relatives/Frens/Humans:
The Navajo Nation Council called a special session today, 4.4.22, to debate and action on Legislation 0257-21, which has two amendments that the Naabik’iyati Committee approved 3.25.22.

Legislation 0257-21 – without the two amendments – is President Nez & Vice President Lizer’s $1.1 Billion ARPA infrastructure plan, which some Council Delegates say is not equitable because some Delegates received more ARPA funds for their chapters than other chapters, and some chapters had zero ARPA funds.

Amendment 2, which Budget & Finance Committee member Amber Kanazbah Crotty sponsored, appropriates $41.4 million in ARPA funds to each of the 24 legislative districts, which would fund chapters projects today.

Amendment 1 to Legislation 0257-21 would provide $27 million in ARPA funds for the Navajo Nation Judicial Branch and about $132 million in ARPA funds for Navajo public safety, rural addressing, enhanced 911 services, government cybersecurity, small businesses through the Dineh Chamber of Commerce, and the ongoing COVID-19 public health response by the Navajo Department of Health.

It is now 11:01 am, 4.4.22, and Navajo Council Delegate Rickie Nez informs the Councl that some of his constituents told him that their Navajo Nation Hardship Assistance CHECKS are BOUNCING. Nez requested verbal & written report from Acting Navajo Nation Controller Elizabeth Begaye to Council about “bouncing” checks, BUT Speaker Seth Damon reminded Nez that the today’s Special Session was called specifically to address Legislation 0257-21, the nez&lizer $1.1B ARPA infrastructure plan, which has two amendments that would appropriate $41M to each 24 legislative districts’ chapters via their Council delegate, $24M for Judicial Branch & $132M in ARPA funds for Navajo public safety, rural addressing, enhanced 911 services, government cybersecurity, small businesses through the Dineh Chamber of Commerce, and the ongoing COVID-19 public health response by the Navajo Department of Health.
Damon says he’ll ask Controller”s Office for written report to Nez’s question. Nez says he needed something in writing.

It is now 11:30 am, 4.4.22, NAVAJO COUNCIL DELEGATE PERNELL HALONA, asks if his Amendment ready?
CHIEF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL DANA BOBROFF
Sent to Halona at 11:03 am today.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT 3 – Delete amendment 2, 3.25.22, entirety and renumber.
SECONDED by Budget & Finance Committee Vice Chairman Raymond Smith.

It is now 11:45 am, 4.4.22, and Council Delegate KEE ALLENT BEGAY asked Delegate Halona to explain what he meant when he said that Deleting Amendment 2 would Fund projects across the Navajo Nation with ARPA funds, instead of Funding Chapter Projects. Your amendment would return about $600 Million to stay in Window Rock.

COUNCIL DELEGATE PERNELL HALONA says the projects in nez&lizer $1.1 Billion ARPA spending plan is for projects across the Navajo Nation, and it’s not true that some Council delegates have Zero ARPA funds for chapter projects.
DELEGATE KEE ALLEN BEGAY
I’m requesting Documents from Halona that show the chapter/community projects that nez&lizer selected for ARPA funding and how much? I know some of chapters I represent received $6.2 Million.

NOTE – Under Amendment 2, which Naabik’iyati approved March 25, Kee Allen Begay’s chapters would received a total of about $41 Million.

DELEGATE RICKIE NEZ
Delegate Halona, what are you making this amendment to delete Amendment 2, which the Naabik’iyati Committee approved March 25.

It is now 11:55 am, 4.4.22, NAVAJO COUNCIL DELEGATE AMBER KANAZBAH CROTTY says that In the Original Legislation 0257-21, nez&lizer gave his Navajo Veterans Administration Director James D. Zwierlein Total Authority over veterans’ budget.
Crotty reminded Council that the veterans marched against Zwierlein, and Nez told the veterans he would have Zwierlein include the veterans in their annual operating budget. But Nez lied.

COUNCIL DELEGATE EDMUND YAZZIE says he supports Delegate Halona’s Amendment 3 to entirely Delegate Amendment 2. The nez&lizer administration worked on the Original Legislation 0257-21. We need to stop arguing. They say money is evil and look at us.

It is now noon, 4.4.22, and NAVAJO COUNCIL DELEGATE MARK FREELAND says that With Halona’s amendment 3, if approved, the chapters that I represent will be out $413 ARPA funds.
BUDGET & FINANCE COMMITTEE VICE CHAIRMAN RAYMOND SMITHI says he supports Halona’s amendment 3.

It is now 12:15 pm, 4.4.22, and NAVAJO COUNCIL DELEGATE EUGENIA CHARLES-NEWTON says that the nez&lizer Legislation 0257-21 exhibit F3, expenditure plan was $50M for housing for veterans without housing. How is $50M split up? By Delegate regions? By chapters? And says 1,400 applicants, and that NVA Director Zwierlein with assistance of some Delegates would select veterans for housing.
If we approve Halona’s Amendment 3, we give $50M to Zweielein. And at a Vietnam Veterans Day event that Delegate Crotty & I attended, I mentioned the nez&lizer proposal for $50M for Zwierlein/NVA & the veterans opposed.
Not one house has been built under nez&lizer administration. Under Russell Begaye-Nez administration, no homes built for veterans.

It is now 12:26 pm, 4.4.22, and NAVAJO COUNCIL DELEGATE PERNELL HALONA just Lied. Halona says there are 10,000 Navajo veterans on the Navajo Nation. I emailed Navajo VA Director Zwierlein several months ago for Documents that confirmed his Claim that there are 6,000 Navajo veterans on the Navajo Nation, especially since he reported earlier in the meeting to the Navajo Nation Veterans Advisory Council that there are 6,000 Navajo veterans. I’ll look for my Email to Zwierlein and Post here & on my Blog, Marley Shebala’s Notebook.

It is 1 pm, 4.4.22, the Council votes 19 in favor, 4 opposed to Cease Debate on Delegate Pernell Halona’s Amendment 3.
Elmer Begay Green; Kee Allen Begay Green; Paul Begay Green; Nathaniel Brown Green; Eugenia Charles-Newton Green; Amber Kanazbah Crotty Red; Herman M. Daniels Jr. Red; Mark Freeland Red; Pernell Halona Green; Seth Damon Green; Jamie Henio Green; Vince James Green; Rickie Nez Green; Carl Slater Green; Raymond Smith Jr. Green; Wilson Stewart Jr. Green; Otto Tso Green; Charlaine Tso Red; Daniel Tso Green; Eugene Tso Green; Thomas Walker Jr. Green; Edmund Yazzie Green; Jimmy Yellowhair Green.

It is now 1:47 pm, 4.4.22, Resources & Development Committee member Mark Freeland says he opposes Amendment 2 because his chapters that he represents will lose $3.4M in ARPA funds.
NOTE – Amendment 2 equally distributes about $41M ARPA funds to each Delegate for their legislative district. The Naabik’iyati Committee approved Amendment 2 after learning that the nez&lizer $1.1 Billion ARPA spending plan unfairly gave more ARPA funds to some Council Delegates, such as Delegate Mark Freeland,
Council Delegate Kee Allen Begay says the chapters he represent didn’t receive an equal share of the $1.1 Billion ARPA funds from nez&lizer. And nez&lizer did not approve one Broadband project approved for his chapters, where some chapters can’t have a land phone.

Freeland says Amendment 2 includes $50M for Dineh Chamber of Commerce to assist Navajo small businesses. The choice between funding chapters & Navajo small businesses is a “no-brainer;” I’ll choose chapter because bathroom additions & electricity will improve the lives of the Navajo people.

It is now 2:25 pm, 4.4.22, and Health, Education & Human Services Committee Chairman Daniel Tso asks Chief Legislative Counsel Dana Bobroff what happens to Legislation 0257-21 if it only gets 15 Yes votes from the Council and not the legally required Yes 16 votes.
Council Delegate Eugene Tso says Chinle Chapter has their projects ready to go.
Council Delegates are saying that Chapter Projects that have already been Reviewed & Approved for ARPA by Navajo Justice Dept do not need to go beck to NDOJ for approval again.
Delegates also clarified that the Navajo Division of Community Development & NDOJ would continue assisting Delegates & Chapters with ARPA funds in 0257-21 with 2 amendments.
Delegates asked NDOJ and Chief Legislative Counsel if they had hired additional attorneys with the funds that Council approved for additional attorneys to assist with ARPA chapter & community projects. Both NDOJ & Chief Legislative Counsel reported that they have not hired additional attorneys because the Navajo govt personnel process takes months.

It is now 2:33 pm, 4.4.22, and CHIEF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL DANA BOBROFF answers Health, Education & Human Services Committee Chairman Daniel Tso question regarding What happens to Legislation 0257-21it with 2 amendments if the Council fails to get the 16 Yes Votes that are needed to Approve Legislation 0257-21 with 2 amendment.
If the Council fails to get 16 Yes Votes, Legislation 0257-21 with 2 amendment, it is deleted from Council agenda and New legislation will have to be dropped to allocate the $1.1 Billion in ARPA Funds.

It is now 2:50 pm, 4.4.22, and HEALTH, EDUCATION & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE MEMBER CARL SLATER is urging 8 Council Delegates who Voted in Support of Deleting Amendment 2 to now Vote Yes for Legislation 0257-21 with 2 amendments. We just need One more Yes Vote.
Delegate Crotty and Kee Allen Begay received Zero ARPA dollars for water projects. Delegate Mark Freeland says he’s losing ARPA funds for his constituents in Amendment 2, but without Amendment 2, where are the Water Projects for Dine’ who Crotty and Kee Allen Begay represent because nez&lizer decided not to help the constituents of Crotty and Kee Allen Begay.
If Council Delegate Jimmy Yellowhair votes Yes, then his chapters will receive an additional $20 Million in ARPA funds.

It is now 3:18 pm, 4.4.22, and Council Delegate Kee Allen Begay says that the Delegates that are Opposing Legislation 0257-21 with 2 amendments have been giving a lot of “Misleading” information, such as those Delegates that have Zero Water Projects in the nez&lizer $1.1B ARPA spending plan do have funding from Indian Health Services.
Begay says Indian Health Services has funding but decides that chapter projects that are too remote do not qualify for ARPA funded water projects.
Delegate Jimmy Yellowhair agrees.

It is now 3:57 pm, 4.4.21, and the Council is voting to Cease Debate. If the Cease Debate Passes, the Council will Finally Vote on Legislation 0257-21 with 3 amendments. The Council vote is 20 in favor, 3 opposed.
Elmer Begay Green; Kee Allen Begay Green; Paul Begay Green; Nathaniel Brown Red; Eugenia Charles-Newton Green; Amber Kanazbah Crotty Red; Seth Damon Green; Herman M. Daniels Jr. Green; Mark Freeland Green; Pernell Halona Green; Jamie Henio Green; Vince James Green; Rickie Nez Green; Carl Slater Green; Raymond Smith Jr. Green; Wilson Stewart Jr. Green; Otto Tso Red; Charlaine Tso Green; Daniel Tso Green; Eugene Tso Green; Thomas Walker Jr. Green; Edmund Yazzie Green; Jimmy Yellowhair Green.

It is now 4:04 pm, 4.4.22, and the Navajo Council is listening to the Reading of Legislation 0257-21 with 3 amendments. After the reading of 0257-21 with 3 amendment, the Council will vote.
0257-21 seeks Council approval to appropriate $41.4 million in ARPA funds to each of the 24 legislative districts, which would fund chapters projects today.
Amendments to Legislation 0257-21 would also provide $27 million in ARPA funds tor the Navajo Nation Judicial Branch and about $132 million in ARPA funds for Navajo public safety, rural addressing, enhanced 911 services, government cybersecurity, small businesses through the Dineh Chamber of Commerce, and the ongoing COVID-19 public health response by the Navajo Department of Health.
Delegate Carl Slater sponsored Amendment 3. NOTE – I’ll get Correct Info on Slater’s Amendment 3.

It is now 4:47 pm, 4.4.22, and the Navajo Council is Voting on Legislation 0257-21 with 3 Amendments. The Council vote is 15 in Favor, 8 opposed. Speaker Pro Tem Edison Wauneka says the Vote Failed on 0257-21 with 3 Amendments.
Unofficial Council Voting Tally:
Elmer Begay Green; Kee Allen Begay Green; Paul Begay Red; Nathaniel Brown Green; Eugenia Charles-Newton Green; Amber Kanazbah Crotty Green; Seth Damon Green; Herman M. Daniels Jr. Red; Mark Freeland Red; Pernell Halona Red; Jamie Henio Green; Vince James Green; Rickie Nez Green; Carl Slater Green; Raymond Smith Jr. Red; Wilson Stewart Jr. Red; Otto Tso Green; Charlaine Tso Green; Daniel Tso Green; Eugene Tso Green; Thomas Walker Jr. Green; Edmund Yazzie Red; Jimmy Yellowhair Red.

SPEAKER SETH DAMON
Navajo Council votes to Adjourn at 4:54 Pm, 4.4.22. Our Office will have a Leadership Meeting because this is not the end. We have to get ARPA funding thru process.
COUNCIL DELEGATE AMBER KANAZBATH CROTTY
Nez sat down with District 12 Chapters about their projects but Nez didn’t include their projects for ARPA funds. Speaker, Could you assist in getting District 12 projects reviewed for ARPA eligibility by Navajo Dept of Justice.