Morgan sweeps to 4th term as speaker

(Times photo - Paul Natonabah)

Associate Supreme Court Justice Eleanor Shirley on Monday gives the oath of office to Lawrence T. Morgan (Iyanbito/Pinedale) after he was re-elected to a fourth term as speaker of the Navajo Nation Council during the opening day of the winter session.

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T he Navajo Nation Council voted to stay the course Monday, re-electing Lawrence T. Morgan (Pinedale/Iyanbito) to an unprecedented fourth term as speaker.

Morgan easily defeated two challengers, Leonard Tsosie (Torreon/Pueblo Pintado/Whitehorse Lake) and Harold Wauneka (Fort Defiance).

During the first vote, delegates removed Tsosie by casting 49 votes for Morgan and 22 for Wauneka, leaving only 14 for the former New Mexico state senator.

In the runoff, Morgan claimed 56 votes to Wauneka's 30.

Morgan, who has acquired more power than any other council speaker in tribal history, campaigned on the promise to run a more environmentally friendly office and to promote the creation of a constitution. The latter is a continuation of a project he launched last year while battling with President Joe Shirley Jr. over government reform.

But mainly, Morgan argued that a vote for him would be a vote for stability.

"It is important the legislative branch maintain stability," he said during his speech to the council. "We need to maintain continuity so our people know their government is safe and responsive to meet their needs."

His opponents, likely hoping to ride the sense of change dominating national politics as Barack Obama was sworn in last week, tried to convince the delegates that voters would not thank them for maintaining the status quo.

"When we vote for change, we take a chance," Tsosie said, referring to the government reform battle that dragged on through most of 2008 and ended without resolution.

Tsosie said he would have opened communication between delegates and their communities, as well as bridge the gap between the council and the president's office.

Wauneka, in his speech, focused on broadening communication with the neighboring states as well as with the general public.

"We have to be visible so we have the latest news (about the states') plans," Wauneka said.

"I also want to restore the trust between the people and the government," he said, alluding to the complaint, widely voiced in Navajo communities, that the elected leaders exploit tribal resources for their own benefit while paying only lip service to the people's needs.

Morgan, whose siblings were in the packed spectator gallery to witness Monday's vote, quickly thanked his colleagues for his re-election before continuing with the winter session agenda.

Prior to choosing the speaker, the council voted to cut the session agenda by nearly half, deleting eight appropriation bills totaling more than $16 million.

They dumped the spending measures because the Undesignated Unreserved Fund currently holds only about $1 million, and the only other possible source for the money would have required supermajority support to tap accounts reserved for other purposes.

However, at least one delegate hoped to spend at least some of the $1 million in the UUF. Omer Begay (Cornfields/Greasewood Springs/Klagetoh/Wide Ruins), argued for keeping the bills requesting less than $1 million, but got nowhere.

The UUF balance is well below the amount required under tribal law to remain in the fund at all times.

Begay was sponsoring a bill requesting $100,000 for Southwest Optical to pay for eye exams and eyewear for children. It was eventually added back onto the agenda, only to be ruled out of order Tuesday because of a paperwork mistake.

Also on Tuesday, the council tabled a bill that would create a Navajo Community Development Financial Institution Inc. as a for-profit corporation owned by the Navajo Nation. Its purpose would be to find funding sources for business loans and investments.

Delegates were concerned about oversight of the corporation and exactly what part the council would play in it. While some delegates thought it would be best to keep politics out of such an endeavor, others argued over which standing committees should be represented as shareholders.

The bill was tabled until the summer session in June. In the meantime, the council will hold a work session to study the idea in more depth.

The delegates also voted overwhelmingly against eliminating term limits for the president and vice president. The bill, introduced by Ernest Yazzie (Breadsprings/Church Rock), would have removed the two-term cap now in place.

Tsosie was one of the few voices speaking in favor of the bill, noting that the council had removed term limits from all other elected positions in tribal government.

"The president and vice president are the only ones with a term limit," Tsosie said. "We should give people that prerogative, the people can put term limits on the president as they do with the delegates."

Francis Redhouse (Teecnospos) said the matter should be decided by voter referendum and discussed in public hearings.

"This should come from the people," he said.

However, others were more blunt.

"In 1989 the council made these amendments to remove one person from (continuous) leadership," said Leonard Chee (Birdsprings/Leupp/Tolani Lake), referring to former tribal chairman Peter MacDonald Sr., who amassed unprecedented power while serving three terms in a row during the 1970s and '80s.

"Now you want to overturn that to make provisions for one particular person," he said, referring to the current president, Joe Shirley Jr.

The bill, which required a 59-vote supermajority to pass, instead went down to defeat by nearly that much in a vote of 8 in favor, 58 against.

Speaking of term limits, the council also voted down a bill that would have shortened the terms of the standing committee chairpersons from four to two years.

"This is a chance to fine-tune and develop effective leadership in each committee," said Willie Tracey (Ganado/Kinlichee). "It gives each committee the chance to assess how well the chair leads the committee."

Although most delegates seemed to agree with him, the measure fell five short of the 59-vote supermajority required.

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