Here at Navajo Council Naabik’iyati Committee

Greetings Relatives/Frens, Humans,
I’m here at the Navajo Council chamber in Window Rock, Ariz., where me and several other people are waiting for the Naabi Committee to start. It’s now 11:50 a.m. and according to the Naabi Committee agenda, the NC was scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Key items on the Naabi agenda are two pieces of legislation regarding Speaker Naize, who is here. The legislation asks the Council to remove Naize as Speaker because of criminal charges filed against him by the Navajo Nation Special Prosecutors on Dec. 3, 2013. The criminal charges has cost Naize his “good standing” which is a legal requirement to be speaker. The other legislation on today’s Naabi agenda asks the Council to appoint a new speaker.

Council Delegates that are here are Katherine Benally, Russell Begaye, Alton Shepherd, LoRenzo Bates. A quorum is 13 or two members from the Council’s four standing committees which would be 8. The Council’s Health, Education and Human Services Committee is meeting in the north conference room of the Council chamber.

There were rumors that the Naabi Committee would not meet because some of the Delegates that are reportedly supporting Naize would be absent which would prevent the Naabi Committee from getting a quorum.

I remember when Speaker Naize wanted to insure that there would be a quorum for the Naabi Committee to act on legislation for the Council to be co-signers for Navajo Transitional Energy Company’s half billion dollar insurance to operate the coal mine that NTEC bought from BHP. Naize approved several special committee meetings so that there would be a quorum for Naabi to act on the half billion dollar legislation. And it worked. And immediately after the Naabi approved the half billion dollars, the Council met and approved that legislation which was the final action needed for NTEC to own a coal mine, for APS to buy Southern Cal Edison’s two power units at Four Corners Power Plant, which is the sole customer of the coal mine that NTEC now owns. The Council’s approval of the half billion dollar legislation also sealed a coal supply agreement between NTEC and APS.

Anyway, back to Naabi. Delegates George Apachito, Josh Butler, Nelson BeGaye, Duane Tsingine, Walter Phelps

B&F has 2, RDC has 3. L&O ha 2. Health, Education & Human Services has 2.

Speaker Naize Bates, Nelson Begaye, Katherine Benally, George Apachito, Leonard Pete, Alton Shepherd, Duane Tsinigine, Charles Damon, Josh Butler, Walter Phelps. There are 2 members from each committee. Committee has convened at 12:05 pm

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