NAVAJO COUNCIL TAKES UP ANOTHER LEGISLATION DEALING WITH INITIATIVE/REFERENDUM. THIS ONE WOULD REDUCE PERCENTAGE NEEDED FOR SIGNATURES TO FILE INITITIVE/REFERENDUM.

ELECTION OFFICE DIRECTOR EDISON WAUNEKA
LOWERED FROM 30 percent to 15 percent. When did petition for 24, lowering delegates and 2,000 plus signatures short and courts ordered us to have election and five percent easier for people to put item on ballot. Delegate Tsosie talked about democracy and this is democracy.

Needed 16,000 plus and only way was to double that. Needed 10,000. Lot that signed and not registered.

DELEGATE NELSON BEGAYE
On one hand, bring people in and then lower which is contradiction. We continue to lower percentage and leave at 15 percent then they are part of government. I have problem with this. To truly bring people back, bring back up to 30 percent.

DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE
ask for voter registration numbers before purging.

DELEGATE JOSH BUTLER
again piece mealing. Oppose, cuz this not about people being involved. Chapters also misusing money and that’s about people losing confidence in their government. Also media focus on misuse of discretionary funds.
Where and when in Red Rock convention did they make this recommendation? Can you produce for us? I understand you have two policy analyst both paid $45,000, for total of $90,000 plus benefits. But haven’t seen any work. What justifies travel by Office in past two years? Lot of travel. Don’t blame Nez for saying he wanted to be arms length from Govt Development Office/Commission. These are people’s dollars. What is Navajo people receiving?

DELEGATE PHELPS
Concerned about reducing percentage for signatures to get referendum/initiative before voters to five percent because that might open door for frivolous referendums/initiatives.