During the 2022 Tzi Sho Session, the Eighth Osage Nation Congress voted to confirm individuals to the Gaming Enterprise Board as well as the renamed Health Authority Board.
The Congress voted to confirm Missouri-based Osages Bruce Pollock and Claudette Carnett to fill two vacancies on the five-member gaming board. Their appointments by Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear come as the Nation is planning to expand gaming on Nation-purchased land near the Lake of the Ozarks.
On Sept. 29, Congresswoman Jodie Revard made separate motions for Congress to confirm Carnett and Pollock to the gaming board with each serving a three-year term.
Carnett’s confirmation passed with 12 “yes” votes. Pollock’s confirmation passed with 11 “yes” votes and one “no” from Congresswoman Brandy Lemon.
Carnett and Pollock will serve with fellow gaming board members Geoff Hager (chair), Julie Malone (vice chair) and Mark Simms.
The Congress also voted to confirm four of five appointees to the Nation’s newly named Health Authority Board known as the Si-Si-A-Pe-Txa Board. All five appointees (by Standing Bear) served on the formerly named ON Health Authority Board.
On Sept. 27, Revard made motions for the five individuals to be confirmed. Cindra Shangreau, who served as the prior board’s chair, received 11 “yes” votes and one absence from Congressman Billy Keene that day. She will serve a three-year term on the board.
The confirmation vote for Cecelia Tallchief failed to receive majority votes and she was not confirmed with a 5-5 vote. Lemon, who is Tallchief’s daughter, abstained from voting and Keene was absent. “Yes” votes came from Congress members Scott BigHorse, Whitney Red Corn, Revard, Pam Shaw and Speaker Alice Goodfox. “No” votes came from Otto Hamilton, John Maker, Eli Potts, Paula Stabler and Joe Tillman.
With the 5-5 vote, a tie-breaking vote was then sought from Assistant Principal Chief RJ Walker, who voted “yes.” After the roll call vote, the session broke for a recess for the Congressional Clerk to consult with legal counsel on the vote outcome, Goodfox said.
When session resumed, Goodfox announced Walker’s vote did not count and the session’s journal states “his vote did not count because the abstention has the effect of a ‘no’ vote.”
Si-Si-A-Pe-Txa Board members Michael Bristow (the prior health board’s vice chair), Timothy Shadlow and Hailey Kramer all received confirmation votes. Bristow received 11 “yes” votes, Shadlow received 10 “yes” votes and one “no” from Stabler, and Kramer received 11 “yes” votes.
