Council votes against restricting dual offices
Navajo Times | Donovan Quintero
Michael Max, 14, from Fort Defiance poses for a photo before ringing the bell to indicate the start of the 24th Navajo Nation Council Summer Session on Monday morning in Window Rock.
WINDOW ROCK
Preventing delegates from serving in more than one elected office at a time is a popular notion that has never gone anywhere.
During the 24th Navajo Nation Council summer session delegates debated Legislation 0139-19 amending code to prohibit delegates from serving in other elected positions. Needing a 2/3 vote in favor, it failed 7-10.
This bill had also come before the 23rd Navajo Nation Council, and failed. The amendments included this one: “No delegate shall be permanently employed or serving in any elective position for any government, including the United States, tribal, state, county or city government. Should this be the case then the delegate shall immediately forfeit their office as a Council delegate.”
“There’s a conflict of interest that exists,” said Eugenia Charles-Newton, the bill’s co-sponsor. “I question the loyalty. With this legislation, we are asking that delegates not serve on any elected official positions because being a delegate, we are so busy.”
Currently, delegates are not allowed to be employed by or serve as an elected official in the federal or state government. A delegate also cannot be employed by the Navajo Nation or serve as an elected official in another tribal position, such as chapter official. Under the election code, loyalty to the Navajo Nation is a requirement for delegates.
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