Reduce signatures for Referendum to get at Permanent Trust Fund

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

DELEGATE TSOSIE
Alrady loering chaper quorum and just rewarding bad practices. We shud encourage participation instead of reducing percentage. for those chapters with 1,000, there should 500 people voting on legislation. now election law changes is to reduce voters and this might be abuse of system.
i don’t think voters approved presidential line item veto for prez line item veto conditions of appropriations. And then he’d veto budget but not language which made unfunded mandage so how do you guard against it? By having majority vote.
Goes back to Govt Commission and question shud have been posed, is it good practive to reduce representative votes.

DELEGATE LEONARD PETE
to get handful of people opposing something, they cud easily get numbers/signatures. We make it so easy.

DELEGATE WITHERSPOON
Question: Not just one chapter but 110 chapters. So what are the numbers, Mr. Wauneka?

DELEGATE MEL BEGAY
The intent is good but not what people expect. Council is a privelege and blessed with counsel from people to preserve the government, to be strong govt and be competitive with outside world. daily hear news of how govt impacted by policies and people entrusted with these positions. In that fashion of that thot, this legislation deminished that opportunity. We as body of govt we are expected to build strong policy for nation. This brings chaos to govt. we hear about outside forces, we have radical people, terrorists that deminish and undermind govt that we are a part of.

so this type of legislatio realy understand our capacity and thots. we are the leaders. earlier stated radicals and terrorists.

DELEGATE LORENZO BATES/DELEGATE EDMUND YAZZIE
WE Need information about percentage so ask table, have election office get us percentages and return to legislation first thing in morning.

SPONSOR – DELEGATE JONATHAN NEZ
I’ve gotten beat up today so motion to table sounds good.

SPEAKER NAIZE
This means we wud recess after this vote.

VOTE ON BATES AMEMDNENT TO TABLE. AT 4:29 PM.
8 IN FAVOR, 12 OPPOSED

DELEGATE JONATHAN NEZ
one of positive things in legislation is talking about infrastructure development and I dk how you all think about this but number of people for signatures for intitatives. We have been asking people to open Permanent Trust Fund. That number is tough. The purpose here is for vote to be done quickly with five percent. We’ve been talking about using PTF for infrastructure. Make this as soon as possible for Special Election. This is perfect opportunity.

DELEGATE KATHERINE BENALLY
regarding amendment, next year in November, i have problem, what if signatures collected before election. what if community sets vote before November. I don’t think shud constrain people. If the people collect needed signatures then the Election Office shud begin reviewing signatures.

AMENDMENT VOTE On changing special election to November general election in 2014.
VOTE AT 4:38 PM
10 IN FAVOR, 9 OPPOSE

DELEGATE WITHERSPOON
Ask change from 5 percent to 10 percent for number of signatures needed to place question on ballot thru referendum or inititive.

AMENDMENT 2, WITHERSPOON
VOTING AT 4:41 PM
6 in favor, 13 opposed FAILED

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