Greetings Relatives/Frens/Humans, the Navajo Council convened its one-day special session to act on Legislation 0219-22, which is for the Navajo Council to select a New Speaker.

10:12 am, 11.16.22, and Navajo Council Speaker Pro Tem Jamie Henio, who is Budget & Finance Committee Chairman asks for staff to do Roll Call:
UNOFFICIAL Roll Call shows 20 Navajo Council Delegates Present.
Elmer Begay NoAnswer; Kee Allen Begay Jr. Present; Paul Begay Present; Nathaniel Brown Present; Eugenia Charles-Newton Present; Amber Kanazbah Crotty Present; Seth Damon NoAnswer; Herman M. Daniels Jr Present; Mark Freeland NoAnswer: Pernell Halona Present; Jamie Henio Present; Vince James Present; Rickie Nez Present; Carl Slater Present; Raymond Smith Jr. Present; Wilson Stewart Jr Present; Otto Tso Present; Charlaine Tso Present; Daniel Tso Present; Eugene Tso Present; Thomas Walker Jr NoAnswer: Edison Wauneka Present; Edmund Yazzie Present; Jimmy Yellowhair Present.

10:45 am, 11.16.22, Delegate Herman Daniels asks for report on Health Advisory from Navajo Nation Division of Health and Navajo Council votes to add Report on Health Advisory.

11 am, 11.16.22, COUNCIL DELEGATE AMBER KANAZBAH CROTTY asks What is status of Audit of Office of the Speaker? And motion to make Action Item.
CHIEF LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL DANA BOBROFF
Crotty asking for Report. Action items are legislation.
DELEGATE AMBER KANAZBAH CROTTY
There were Three bills approved by NNC & signed by president so get Update Report on those Legislation, which addressed audit of speaker’s office, creation of personnel office in legislative branch.. DELEGATE Elmer Begay second Amendment 2 made by Delegate Crotty.
DELEGATE OTTO TSO
Provided by Brown to oversight committee and regarding COA, Delegate Daniel Tso made motion on same request by Crotty. The Naabik’iyati Committee & Navajo Council were not informed about Report on Audit of Office of the Speaker, but Naabi and Council are the proper oversight committee. Time needs to be made for Auditor General, which was to contract with outside auditor to do audit but she would also review doing inhouse. That’s what I remember from Budget & Finance Comm and Naabi is oversight comm for Legislative Branch.
I recommend that Crotty’s request be put before the Naabi Comm where there would be more time for debate. Delegates are limited to 5 minutes at Council.
DELEGATE VINCE JAMES asks Crotty to modify her Motion to add the following 2 items as Reports. Crotty accepts James requests.

1. NTUA taking water cards away from Navajo citizens.
2. STATUS REPORT on $8.8M ARPA CHAPTER PROTECTS from Navajo Division of Community Development & NN OPVP Fiscal Recovery Office/ARPA Office

UNOFFICIAL Voting Tally on Amendment 2 made by Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty. With Navajo Council vote of 22 in favor, zero opposed, Council approves Amendment 2.
Elmer Begay Green; Kee Allen Begay Jr Green; Paul Begay Green; Nathaniel Brown Green; Eugenia Charles Newton Green; Amber Kanazbah Crotty Green; Seth Damon NoVote; 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 Green; Charlaine Tso Green; Daniel Tso Green; Eugene Tso Green; Thomas Walker Jr Green; Edison Wauneka Green; Edmund Yazzie Green; Jimmy Yellowhair Green.

11:42 am, 11.16.22, Legislation to Select a New Speaker is read into the record by legislative staff.

12:09 pm, 11.16.22, Speaker Pro Tem Jamie Henio, who is Budget & Finance Committee chairman, steps down as Pro Tem after he is Nominated to be a Candidate for Speaker. Law & Order Committee chairman Otto Tso becomes Speaker Pro Tem for Council during their Selection of a New Speaker.

12:14 pm, 11.16.22, Delegate Herman Daniels Jr nominates Law & Order Committee vice chairman Otto Tso to be Speaker Pro Tem until end of Navajo Council’s term on Jan 10, 2023, which is Navajo Nation Inauguration Day.

12:17 pm, 11.16.22, Navajo Council Delegate Nathaniel Brown nominates Navajo Council Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

2:41 pm, 11.16.22. The votes are being tallied for the two top candidates from 7 candidates for new Speaker.
KEE ALLEN BEGAY I’ve been asking for how to vote by teleconference. I sent email at 2:25 pm, at 2:36 pm Stated received.
SPEAKER PRO TEM RAYMOND SMITH calls on election office for answer.
ELECTION OFFICE, VERONICA CURLEY Delegate Kee Allen Begay’s email and vote were counted.

2:57 pm, 11.16.22, and the Navajo Election Office is still tabulating the secret votes of Navajo Council delegates for the Top Two of 7 candidates for Speaker.
Speaker Pro Tem Raymond Smith Jr saying that 23 Delegates voted and that Navajo Nation Supreme Court Chief Justice JoAnn Jayne is standing by to do the Oath of Office for the New Speaker.

3:06 pm, 11.16.22, Speaker Pro Tem Raymond Smith Jr says the Top Two Candidates for Speaker are Budget & Finance Committee Chairman Jamie Henio and Law & Order Committee Vice Chairman Otto Tso.
Budget & Finance Committee member Amber Kanazbah Crotty asks for the votes for each of the 7 candidates & that there appeared to be bias for votes.
During the vote, I raise discrepancies with election office staff & current staff should not be handling votes.
Speaker Pro Tem Raymond Smith Jr says he didn’t see any discrepancies. And he calls on Chief Legislative Counsel Dana Bobroff who says she didn’t see any discrepancies that would require a Revote. And any Delegate can call for Revote.
Delegate Amber Crotty said she was not asking for Revote. She asked for well-thought out process since BFC Chair Henio was serving as Speaker Pro Tem. It’s customary to share Votes of Each Candidates before announcing Top Two Candidates. And so I call for a Revote.

3:14 pm, 11.16.22, Chief Legislative Counsel Dana Bobroff advises Revote of Same Nominees and identification of Issue raised by Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty, which involved a Navajo Council Delegate Legislative District Advisor and staff from the Navajo Nation Office of the Speaker being involved in the Voting & Tallying of the Votes of Delegates for New Speaker.
Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty says I don’t think that I as a Delegate should be pointing out Rules & Regulations for Who Should be Involved & Who Should Not be Involved in Tallying the Votes. We need transparency & individuals involved in Tallying of Votes for Speaker should not gain a benefit.
Speaker Raymond Smith Jr says there are two election office present.
Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty asks for Who received Votes online of votes cast for Speaker.
CLC Bobroff says it was my understanding that the online votes went to election office so see no reason for Chief of Staff to involved in this Report.
Speaker Pro Tem Raymond Smith Jr says Speaker Seth Damon’s Chief of Staff will not be involved in the Tallying of Votes.
Council Delegate Jimmy Yellowhair says we should get results for each of the candidates for speaker. We should have got that first. Let’s see Results first, before Revote. We should know if our Vote Counted…

3:28 pm, 11.16.22, Navajo Election Office staff Voted by email 12. 11 Delegates voted in person.

3:30 pm, 11.16.22, Chief Legislative Counsel Bobroff says election office was to name number of votes for each of the 7 candidates.
Navajo Election Office staff Veronica Curley reports number of votes for each candidate:
Eugene Charles-Newton 3 votes
Amber Kanazbah Crotty 2 votes
Jamie Henio 5 votes
Carl Slater 3 votes
Charlaine Tso 2 votes
Otto Tso 5 votes
Edmund Yazzie 3 votes

3:35 pm, 11.16.22, Law & Order Vice Chairman Otto Tso and Budget & Finance Committee Chairman Jamie Henio are the Top 2 candidates for Speaker will be doing their Campaign speeches.

4 pm, 11.16.22, Speaker Raymond Smith Jr announces that Voting for New Speaker closes at “04:04” pm

4:11 pm, 11.16.22, and the Navajo Election Office continues to count Votes for New Speaker between top 2 candidates of 7, Delegates Jamie Henio & Otto Tso.
Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty is more than Qualified to be Speaker but the ole boys club are afraid of being held Accountable, especially when it comes to Travel. Delegate Nathaniel Brown nominated Delegate Crotty for Speaker and when the 24th Council Delegates were selecting their Committee chairpersons, Delegate Brown nominated Delegate Crotty to be Budget & Finance Committee Chairman. And even though Delegate Crotty had seniority, and more financial knowledge & experience than Delegate Henio, the Budget & Finance Committee voted for Henio to be BFC chariman….

4:29 pm, 11.16.22, Council attorney Dana Bobroff says her interpretation of rules is that a Delegate who is present and does not vote then that Delegate is considered Absent for rest of meeting. Under the rules, a delegate is not forced to vote. If they choose not to vote, then declared absent from entire meeting, unless excused by speaker or speaker pro tem.

Navajo election office reports that delegates voting for speaker between top 2 candidates are Delegates Elmer Begay; Kee Allen Begay; Paul Begay; Nathaniel Brown; Eugenia Charles-Newton; Herman Daniels; Mark Freeland; Pernell Halona; Jamie Henio; Vince James; Rickie Nez; Carl Slater; Raymond Smith Jr.; Wilson Stewart Jr; Charlaine Tso; Daniel Tso; Eugene Tso; Otto Tso; Thomas Walker; Edison Wauneka; Edmund Yazzie; Jimmy Yellowhair.

Delegate Jamie Henio says he’s stepping aside. He has elderly parents and horses to take of and he needs to go home. Being speaker looks good, but it is a lot of work, and I am needed at home.

4:36 pm, 11.16.22, Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty calls Point of Privilege, the Navajo Council Camera should have been shown the Public what was happening with the Election of a New Speaker because the Public should have seen how ballots were being revealed and what staff were asking questions of election staff. Please read the Council Rules that Allows Chief Legislative Counsel Dana Bobroff to be involved in the Election Procedures for a Speaker. NOTE – When Speaker Seth Damon drafted legislation for Council to put Damon on Temporary Admin Leave, he put in his legislation that None of his Staff would be Removed. Attorney Bobroff is part of former Speaker Damon’s staff.
Crotty askes Legislative Staff to read the Definition of Point of Privilege to Speaker Pro Tem Smith. NOTE – Speaker Po Tem Smith Repeatedly Fails to Fully Address & Answer Delegate Crotty’s Point of Privilege.

4:46 pm, 11.16.22, Speaker Pro Tem Smith Jr, instead of responding to Delegate Crotty’s Point of Privilege, calls on Attorney Bobroff to advise him and Council about what to do with a Delegate who does not vote and then to Declare that Delegate Absent. NOTE – Delegate Crotty did not Vote for either Jamie Henio & Otto Tso. And then
And Attorney Bobroff says Crotty’s accussations are extremely unfair. Bobroff says she asked election staff who did not vote & election staff told her that it Delegate Crotty. And so I walked over to you to ask if you vote to ensure your vote was counted.
Speaker Raymond Smith says he has no choice but to declare Delegate Crotty Absent.

4:52 pm, 11.16.22, What a TOTAL MANIPULATION of the Navajo Council by the ole Guard. Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty questions the Transparency & Legality of the Election of the New Speaker, which involved a political appointee, attorney Dana Bobroff, talking with election office about who voted and who didn’t….And now, Speaker Pro Tem Raymond Smith Jr., with the advice of attorney Bobroff, Declares Delegate Crotty ABSENT, which means she Never Attended Today’s Navajo Council Session. BUT Speaker Pro Tem Smith had the OPTION to Not Declare Delegate Crotty ABSENT. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME Speaker Pro Tem Smith Jr.

5 pm, 11.16.22, Delegate Carl Slater asks Speaker Raymond Smith Jr what is the impact of Speaker Pro Tem Smith Declaring Delegate Crotty Absent, especially since Delegate Crotty was nominated as a Candidate for Speaker.
Attorney Bobroff says Delegate Crotty Motions and Reports would need to be Removed. In the past, when delegate declared Absent then vote adjusted to take out vote of Delegate declared Absent. Yes, Delegate Crotty was candidate but she is absent and so she cannot have received votes. Declaring a Delegate Crotty Absent is CENSORSHIP!!!!!!

5 pm, 11.16.22, Delegate Carl Slater asks Speaker Raymond Smith Jr what is the impact of Speaker Pro Tem Smith Declaring Delegate Crotty Absent, especially since Delegate Crotty was nominated as a Candidate for Speaker.
Attorney Bobroff says Delegate Crotty Motions and Reports would need to be Removed. In the past, when delegate declared Absent then vote adjusted to take out vote of Delegate declared Absent. Yes, Delegate Crotty was candidate but she is absent and so she cannot have received votes.

5:19 pm, 11.16.22, Navajo Council unanimously approved legislation for New Speaker, who is Law & Order Committee Vice Chairman Otto Tso. There was a tied between Speaker Candidates Otto Tso and Jamie Heno, but Henio withdrew as speaker candidate, which made Delegate Otto Tso the new speaker with 11 votes.

5:25 pm, 11.16.22, Navajo Nation Chief Justice JoAnn Jayne gave Oath of Office to Navajo Council Delegate Otto Tso to be new Speaker until the end of the 24th Navajo Council’s term on Jan. 10, 2023, Navajo Nation Inauguration Day.
The Council unanimously approved legislation making Delegate Otto Tso their new speaker to replace Speaker Seth Damon, who resigned on Nov. 4 for being publicly intoxicated at a casino in Las Vegas during the Indian National Finals Rodeo.

5:55 pm, 11.16.22, Navajo Council votes to Adjourn.

6 pm, 11.16.22, NOTE – The Navajo Council did not Hear the following Reports because Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty, who requested that the Council add the Reports to their Agenda, was Declared Absent by Speaker Pro Tem Raymond Smith Jr., which meant that since Crotty was Absent, she could not have Added Reports to the Council’s agenda. SMH! At the request of Delegate Carl Slater, the Reports were moved to the Naabik’iyati Committee.
A. Update report from the Navajo Nation Department of Health on the recent Public Health Emergency Order No. 2022-010, “Reemphasizing ‘Safer at Home’ Order and Updating Gathering Limits”.
B. Update report from the Office of the Speaker and the Auditor General on pending Conditions of Appropriations and/or Legislative Concerns regarding the establishment of a Legislative Branch Human Resources Section and the audit of the Office of the Speaker (CS-49-21).
C. Update report from the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) regarding water cards being revoked from Navajo Nation citizens.
D. Update report from the Division of Community Development (DCD) and the Fiscal Recovery Fund Office (NNFRF) on the status of the Chapter Projects submitted for ARPA eligibility