Based on the Navajo Council agenda, the Council is now on Legislation 0010-15: An Action Relating To Budget And Finance, Naa’bik’iyati’ And The Navajo Nation Council; Approving Supplemental Funding From The Unreserved, Undesignated Fund Balance In The Amount Of $317,891 For The Navajo Nation Election Administration, Business Unit #101021, To Fund The Continuing 2014 Navajo Nation General Election.

MOTION BY DELEGATES LEONARD TSOSIE AND BEN BENNETT TO SUSPEND COUNCIL FLOOR AND ALLOW MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES FOR EACH DELEGATE TO DEBATE.
VOTE IS 9 IN FAVOR, 11 OPPOSED

MOTION BY DELEGATES LEONARD TSOSIE AND NATE BROWN FOR AMENDMENT:
1. ON PAGE 1, LINE 15, STRIKE THE WORD “GENERAL” AND PLURALIZE THE WORD “ELECTION”; 2. ON PAGE 2, LINE 3, INSERT A NEW PARAGRAPH AS FOLLOWS: g. THERE BEING SO MANY NAVAJO VOTERS WHO ARE CLAIMING THE DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF THEIR VOTES AS A RESULT OF NAVAJO SUPREME COURT DECISION AND THE PRESIDENT REQUESTING THAT THE QUESTION OF “FLUENCY OF NAVAJO LANGUAGE” REQUIREMENT BE RESOLVED BY THE NAVAJO PEOPLE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE NAVAJO PEOPLE DECIDE WHETHER TO AMEND 11 N.N.C. SECTION 8, A, 4 AS FOLLOWS: SECIION 8. QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE. A. QUALIFICATIONS FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT ARE: 4. MUST BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND UNDERSTAND THE NAVAJO AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE; AND THIS ABILITY SHALL BE DETERMINED BY THE NAVAJO VOTER WHEN HE/SHE CASTS A BALLOT. 4. ON PAGE 2, LINE 18, INSERT A NEW PARAGRAPH AS FOLLOWS: AFTER THE CERTIFICATION OF THE REFERENDUM VOTE BY NAVAJO ELECTION ADMINISTRATION, THE SPEAKER SHALL CALL A SPECIAL SESSION TO ADDRESS THE GENERAL ELECTION FOR NAVAJO NATION OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. 5. RENUBMER OR RELETTER SUCCEEDING PARAGRAPHS OR SECTIONS ACCORDINGLY, IF NECESSARY; AND THIS AMENDMENT SHALL SUPERSEDE INCONSISTENT LANGUAGE CONTAINED IN ANY OTHER COMMITTEE AMENDMENT, WHICH SHALL BE CONFORMED TO THE INTENT OR LANGUAGE OF THIS AMEMDMENT.

SPEAKER LORENZO BATES RULES DELEGATES LEONARD TSOSIE AND NATE BROWN AMENDMENT OUT OF ORDER.

DELEGATES LEONARD TSOSIE AND EDMUND YAZZIE CHALLENGE SPEAKER’S DECISION.

AFTER MUCH DEBATE, THE COUNCIL VOTES 12 IN FAVOR, 8 IN FAVOR TO OVERRULE SPEAKER’S RULING. AND SO THE COUNCIL RETURNS TO DEBATING THE AMENDMENT FOR A REFERENDUM.

DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE
i would urge us not to show fear. Prez Roosevelt said that the only thing to fear is fear itself. why are we afraid to let the people vote.

DELEGATE RAYMOND SMITH JR.
this amendment allows people to vote on their concern, however, on one hand we have supreme court breathing down our necks and we also want this to be heard by the people. i’m looking at people as whole have right to speak on who they want and that would only happen through laws being changed. i reserve my time.

DELEGATE WALTER PHELPS
i’d like to propose that this amendment return to council as separate legislation.

DELEGATE ALTON SHEPHERD
in listening to debate, several things come to mind. we are spending a lot of time and this is important. but are we doing all this for nothing. this amendment is being modified and modified. and who will this fall back on? one or the other, Mr. Wauneka has to comply with the Supreme Court order. I support amendments to law in the right way. and what if president line item vetoes? the council cannot over-ride line item veto. and Navajo Justice Department can’t advise council. And so i ask that the council vote on amendment be by delayed vote so that each delegate makes an independent vote instead of looking to see how the vote is going.