NAVAJO COUNCIL STILL DEBATING LEGISLATION 0462-12:

DELEGATE KATHERINE BENALLY
One of elected officials in Eastern Chapter has qualifications issues and this legislation wud address that. Also keep in mind that individual who has been disqualified has due process and this legislation addresses due process.

And also because of chapter officials misusing tribal funds.

DELEGATE DWIGHT WITHERSPOON
PAGE 4, doing away with qualification for any conviction of felonies, misdemeanors for past five years and that there shud be no felonies, misdemeanors. For Removal, upon assuming, section 8, elected official maintain qualifications and any conviction during office shall be grounds for removal so essentially election office can receive documents and official can be removed.

DELEGATE Beaye’s concerns for definitions/lists is good but this Bill deletes those specifics. Also question over Election Office not being law enforcement entity to look into convictions. Should we should include requirement for background check federally and tribally and provide those documentations which wud provide info on misdemeanors and felonies and pending cases outside Section F.

And Candidates wud be held responsible cuz Election Office not financially able to obtain info. Certainly that if official facing removal that he or she wud face removal under one entity.

SPONSOR – DELEGATE SHEPHERD
To Phelps and Witherspoon: Go to Section 8, not taking out felonies and misdemenors, Section 8, Paragraph B already written in there. And to be qualified, already written in here, not taking those out. Also the Removal Process, Section 240, one is qualifications in 240 is in Section 8, Qualifications for Prez remains but strike out in section 240. I mentioned earlier that we are taking out redundancy, streamlining.
To Butler: This was presented at Council Winter Session and another legislation to address Ethics charges which comes from Office of Hearings and Appeals. And I can return with that legislation. I had that but it didn’t pass.