During its 4th Special Session, the Eighth Osage Nation Congress considered and passed several appropriation bills for government operations.
On Dec. 1, Congress started its session and also its appropriations committee also met to initially consider the bills before the votes.
Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear told Congress the budget amendments included those for non-tribal funds for federal money distributed to the Nation.
Congressional Speaker Alice Goodfox said the Executive Branch requested the previous special session proclamation in November to be amended to include the budgetary items, but the Congress opted to call the December special session instead and the legislative proclamation was issued.
Bill ONCA 23-01 (sponsored by Congresswoman Paula Stabler) is “an Act to amend ONCA 22-95 to authorize appropriation modifications and supplemental appropriations to the Executive Branch in the amount of $1,521,038.” and contained several budget changes for respective departments.
Those departments and amounts discussed in committee include $234,000 to Real Estate Services for land into trust application costs for the Nation’s ranch; $67,230 request for tribal administration for one GSA vehicle lease and supplies and operation costs for the Nation’s six secretaries; Operations for the Nation’s CARES cattle including lease costs for pastures, feed and vaccination costs; $100,000 toward a new activity bus purchase for Daposka Ahnkodapi, which is the Nation’s private elementary school.
Superintendent Patrick Martin told the committee the current activity bus is an older model inherited from the Nation’s former Boys and Girls Club program and does not have working air conditioning and a door known to open while the bus is in motion. Martin, who said he is the only school employee with a commercial driver’s license required for bus drivers, said the activity bus has been used to take students on field trips in the region, including Tulsa.
The bill also includes a proposed $60,000 request by the Nation’s Wildland Fire Management Department to purchase a used military tactical vehicle outfitted for firefighting. Wildland Fire Director Ross Walker told the committee a local firefighting contractor is offering to sell the military surplus vehicle to the Nation and believed the amount is nearly half the cost for a new vehicle and also noted the vehicle will be beneficial in fighting challenging fires like the ones that struck the Nation during the weekend of the 150th Commemoration that took place in Pawhuska.
“We had one of the most challenging wildfires,” Walker said of that weekend, which included windy conditions that made firefighting efforts tougher with fire spreads and other back-to-back calls. Walker recalled the first fire his crew responded to was near Hominy on the ON Ranch, which consumed more than 9,000 acres. Walker said that weekend was the first time in his service with the Nation that he experienced a 36-hour shift and the vehicle purchase would be beneficial for future fire calls.
Congressional Speaker Alice Goodfox praised Walker and his department for their work efforts, adding “you have the support of Congress” during the bill discussion.
Congress also considered and declined to fund a $192,000 request for Christmas lighting display costs on the Nation’s campus, which was requested by the Executive Branch.
Casey Johnson, Secretary of Development, told the committee the proposed cost would cover lighting displays that would attract more visitors to the campus such as those Christmas holiday attraction displays in larger cities including Bartlesville and Tulsa. He said the Nation spoke with a contractor who proposed the estimate for purchasing the lights with the cost to be paid out of a revolving fund with unspent money from other projects versus 2023 fiscal year tribal funding.
Johnson added if the Nation purchased the lighting, there would be a yearly $15,000 labor cost to the company to reinstall the lighting, which the Nation would own. Some Congress members, including Stabler, did not approve of the purchase amount, which was removed from the bill during the Dec. 6 committee meeting.
“We have other projects to worry about, I think (prior unspent funding) should go to existing projects,” Stabler said, citing projects including a new Primary Residential Treatment and assisted living facilities. “I love Christmas lights, but I just don’t see a need for $200,000 worth.”
ONCA 23-01 passed with a 10-1 vote with one “no” from Congressman Eli Potts and one absence from Congresswoman Brandy Lemon.
ONCA 23-03 (sponsored by Congresswoman Pam Shaw) is an amendment to ONCA 22-94 to provide supplemental appropriations in non-tribal funds in the amount of $1,376,816. The bill passed with an 11-0 vote.
The bill included supplemental appropriations, which included a $3,000 grant to the Education Department to be used toward costs for the department’s college application week and College & Career Fair.; USDA grant funding to be used toward costs to upgrade the Nation’s WIC mobile app and system portal, a suicide prevention grant for the Prevention Program; operation expenses and computer upgrades for the Child Support Department; and costs to hire two entry-level ON police officers.
ONCA 23-04 (Shaw) is a bill “to amend ONCA 21-73 to authorize supplemental appropriations to the Executive Branch in non-tribal funds in the amount of $41,739. The bill passed with an 11-0 vote.
The bill contained funding for Real Estate Services for appraisal costs and Social Services, Shaw said.
ONCA 23-05 (Shaw) is a bill “to amend ONCA 21-95 “to make supplemental appropriations to the Executive Branch in non-tribal funds in the amount of $162,524.” Shaw said departments and programs receiving supplemental funding included the 477 Program, Community Services Block Grant, Indian Child Welfare Act, Johnson O’Malley program and law enforcement, Real Estate Services and Water Resources.
Financial Assistance Department Director Andrea Kemble said the Community Services Block Grant funding will go toward its program providing assistance to youth with their extra-curricular activity costs. Education Department Director Mary Wildcat said the JOM funding will be used toward staff training and conference costs. Ladonna Shadlow, Social Services Department director said the ICWA funding will go toward books and equipment costs for children in open cases.
Natasha Yancey, of Real Estate Services, said the funding will be used toward land appraisal costs. Dr. Jann Hayman, director of Department of Natural Resources, said the Water Resource funding will go toward the costs of collecting water resources data. The bill passed 11-0.
ONCA 23-06 (Shaw) seeks to “provide a supplemental appropriation to the Judicial Branch in non-tribal funds in the amount of $20,496.” Shaw said the funding will go toward purchasing audio/ video equipment for recording hearings. The bill passed 11-0.
ONCA 23-07 (Shaw) seeks “to provide a supplemental appropriation to the Judicial Branch in non-tribal funds in the amount of $5,108.” Shaw said the bill funding will go toward office supplies. The bill passed 11-0.
The remaining legislative items passed during the special session include the following resolutions:
– ONCR 23-01, A Resolution to approve the Office of Fiscal Performance and Review annual audit plan for the fiscal year 2023 submitted by Moss Adams. (Shaw).
The Nation has signed a contract with professional services firm Moss Adams to assume the OFPR operations, which includes audits of the Nation’s entities.
“This annual audit plan is required to be approved by law to be approved by Congress,” Shaw said. “The objective, of course as stated in law, is to conduct independent and objective audits of the departments, entities, businesses, all of the above, so I’m very excited we’ve chose to go with this particular firm, they have a vast amount of experience in Indian Country, tribal government, gaming, they have more resources than we could ever have at our access.”
– ONCR 23-02, A Resolution to approve the Retained Revenue Policy of the Osage Nation Treasury. (Congresswoman Jodie Revard)
– ONCR 23-03, A Resolution to approve the Financial Management Plan and Investment Strategy of the Osage Nation. (Revard)
– ONCR 23-04, A Resolution to approve the End of Fiscal Year Encumbered Policy and End of Fiscal Year Encumbered Funds Carryover Policy of the Osage Nation Treasury. (Revard)
For more Congressional information on sessions, committees and to view filed legislative bills/ resolutions, visit the Legislative Branch website at: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch