The 2024 Hun-Kah Session concluded on its 24th and final day after Congressional Speaker Alice Goodfox delivered a final report of the session.
In her report with information compiled from Congressional Office staff, Goodfox said: “This session, 22 bills were filed and 21 of those passed, another two bills filed during previous sessions also passed.”
Other session noted by Goodfox highlights include:
- Eleven bills appropriated money from the General Fund including: Donations to three fire departments within the (Osage Reservation) boundaries (Grayhorse, McCord and Hominy) for purchases of equipment.
- An appropriation to the City of Pawhuska for repairs to the sewer infrastructure.
- A donation to American Legion Post No. 142 for construction of a veterans memorial in Hominy.
- Funding to the Attorney General’s Office to continue fighting our reservation (status) case.
- A capital infusion to Skyway 36 to help spur the Nation’s economic development.
- Funding for construction of a Visitors Center in Fairfax.
- Increases to operating budgets and money for utility housing assistance and Osage summer youth workers (program).
“In total, nearly $2.9 million were appropriated from the General Fund and we are closing out session with over $4 million remaining available – And that’s $3 million more than what was available this time last year. The Nation’s current 2024 fiscal year for government operations ends on Sept. 30.
“There were also appropriations from other funding sources: $1 million was appropriated from the Retained Revenue Fund to provide a capital infusion for development of Skyway 36; $2 million from the Capital Asset Fund will be used to construct new offices for those formerly housed in the Cultural Center,” Goodfox said.
“Three bills appropriated more than $1 million in non-tribal funds for a number of programs including Food Distribution, Indian Child Welfare, and Low Income Housing Energy Assistance. Congress authorized an increase of $200,000 in space cost expenditures for the Tribal Works Department and we increased the (indirect costs) program budgets by $106,149.”
“Congress also passed a bill establishing a more robust victims rights law drafted with support and input from the AG’s office and the Chief Justice of our Supreme Court,” Goodfox said. “We established equal pay requirements in Osage law to ensure pay equity regardless of one’s gender. And we set up a revolving fund to support operations at the Osage Nation courts.”
“Seven resolutions were filed this session and all seven passed,” Goodfox noted. “Of those, three were grant matching commitments: One for a school resource officer and others to improve the resilience of our infrastructure. We approved a limited waiver of sovereign immunity to allow for the purchase of the Chief Lookout gravesite. We approved execution of a contract for treatment services with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. We passed a new 2024 projected revenue resolution, increasing available tribal funds by $1.1 million and we also enacted a resolution setting the projected revenue for fiscal year 2025 at $78.4 million.”
“Thank you guys for all of your hard work, everything’s gone very smoothly this session and thank you to our staff for all the hard work they’ve done,” Goodfox said in closing.
The 2024 General Election is June 3. The six Congress members who win seats on the 12-member Congress will join the other six and they will comprise the 9th ON Congress, which will convene for the next regular Congressional session, which is the Tzi-Sho Session starting in September.
