Council wrestles with building idea
Speaker says there will be no marble floors
in legislative facility

By John Christian Hopkins
Diné Bureau

\WINDOW ROCK — It was only $150,000.That’s how much Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan asked for, to hire a construction manager to get started on a new 79,000-square-foot legislative office complex.

Among the first orders of business would be to acquire an unsecured $50 million loan from Key Bank.

Many of the legislative buildings are old, falling apart and so crowded that staff and employees are spread out in tiny, modular buildings, Morgan said.

The speaker noted how a small electrical fire in January forced the delegates’ office to close because there was no room to move the staff to.

“I assure you that there is not going to be any marble floors in the building,” Morgan said.

He was referring to comments made during President Joe Shirley Jr.’s State of the Nation address Monday. The president’s office also took out a full page ad in Tuesday’s Independent to bring Shirley’s objections to the public.

“The Navajo Nation is always looking for progress,” Morgan said. “If we don’t make a bold move, we’ll be in status quo.”
Delegate Nelson Gorman offered an amendment — to give $51,000 to the Chinle Junior High School.

The money would help the students take part in a cultural exchange program in Canada this July, Gorman said.

“This motion has nothing to do with the issue at hand,” Delegate Raymond Maxx objected. Maxx suggested the motion was out of order.

However Speaker Pro Tem LoRenzo Bates said the rider was in order.

Delegate Jonathan Nez noticed the documents presented by Gorman lacked a business unit number.

“It’s out of order, Mr. Pro Tem,” Delegate Young Jeff Tom said.

This time Bates agreed the amendment was out of order.
But it wasn’t, Delegate Ervin M. Keeswood Sr. pointed out. The money was essentially a grant to the Chinle Junior High School, so no tribal business unit number was needed, he explained. A similar issue, involving a Red Mesa school was acted on despite no unit number, Keeswood said.

After checking that old legislation, Bates reversed himself and ruled Gorman’s amendment was still in order.
“There was already a ruling that it was out of order,” Delegate Omer Begay Jr. said.

More information was presented, showing that the amendment was in order, Bates replied.

Delegate Amos F. Johnson urged his colleagues to support the amendment, reminding them it was going to help tribal youth.

But Delegate Danny Simpson was still miffed that the amendment was being considered. Generally, when documents aren’t in order, the bill is not considered, he said.

He said this amendment lacked a grant form.

“As chair of B & F, you should know that,” Simpson told Bates.

The Council has set precedence in this area, Bates explained.

Gorman’s amendment passed, 45-20.

Delegate Kee Allen Begay, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said that the Nation had other needs — including judicial and public safety facilities. His committee, along with the Public Safety Committee, have spent a lot of time trying to find funding for the facilities, Begay said.
Last Council passed a 1-cent increase in the sales tax for the buildings, but it would take 15 to 20 years to save up enough for one facility, Begay said.

Begay wanted to see funds included in the loan to build one new facility per agency.

“Stop trying to get money for pet projects,” Delegate Leonard Chee said.

Delegate Leonard Tsosie agreed. He said the speaker’s bill should be considered on its own, without being cluttered with unrelated amendments.

“We shouldn’t complicate the issue,” Delegate Lorenzo Bedonie added. “Let’s keep it clear and simple.”

Council would keep it simple — by further complicating the issue. A second amendment — to delete Gorman’s first amendment — was debated and approved, 42-24.

Thus after an hour of debate, Council ended up right back where it began.

Monday, when President Shirley started to talk about Council’s plan to seek a $125 million loan, Council cut him off. Although the legislation introduced called for a $50 million loan, Shirley said he had heard that figure could rise to $125 million.

Turns out, the president was right.

There is a tremendous need in the Navajo Nation for facilities to better serve the people, Keeswood said. He moved to substitute $125 million for the legislation, a $75 million increase. That extra funding would be used for other facilities, infrastructure and acquisitions, Keeswood said.

“This sounds like a whole new legislation,” Maxx said.

Approving the legislation would not approve any other facilities — other than the legislative complex, Keeswood explained. Rather, it would open the door to make funding available for other projects as they are improved, he said.

Delegate Harold Wauneka still had reservations though.
“This is a mix of apples, oranges and grapefruits,” Wauneka said.

Bank officials believe the Nation could borrow up to $300 million, Keeswood said. But the Nation is only seeking a maximum of $125 million, he said.

The legislation is almost certainly going to be vetoed by the president. Then Council could attempt an override.

The speaker’s legislation isn’t done with, it will come back to life. Which, ironically, is how Wednesday’s session nearly began.

Jonathan Nez had second thoughts about legislation that Council had voted down Tuesday, and moved to have it recalled. The bill, sponsored by Delegate Willie Tracey, dealt with the requirement to read legislation into the record in full.
Council voted 56-12 to reconsider the legislation.

Then, Council killed it a second time.

That bill’s number was 666.

John Christian Hopkins can be reached at Hopkins1960@hotmail.com