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Congress passes three bills, one resolution on Session Day 9

Bills for an Osage Nation census, an Election Code amendment, additional funding for the Grayhorse broadband grant audit and a resolution to implement or explore a recycling program for all ON facilities was approved by the 7th Osage Nation Congress

On Day 9 of the 2022 Hun-Kah Session, the Seventh Osage Nation Congress passed three bills and one resolution.

The legislative items are the first to receive votes while the 24-day legislative session continues. All four items will be sent to Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear for consideration of his signature to take effect.

On April 6, Congress passed the following legislative items:

ONCA 22-30 (sponsored by Congresswoman Alice Goodfox) is “An Act to require the Osage Nation to conduct a census of the people of the Osage Nation.”

Goodfox sponsored the bill seeking to learn more demographic information from the Osage membership who participate in the proposed census. She said it would be up to the Executive Branch on how the census would be rolled out, whether issued by paper or online forms, and gave a list of possible questions to ask the Osage public.

The bill passed unanimously with a 12-0 vote.

ONCA 22-32 (Goodfox) is “An Act to amend the Election Code to change the number of days effecting a vacancy from 180 to 270.”

Goodfox said she sponsored the election code amendment because in the event a special election is called to fill a Congressional vacancy, the Wahzhazhe Elections office would need time to prepare, which includes issuing public notices of the election and allowing the public to mark and submit absentee ballots. “When you take all those rules into play, a person would sign up to run for a seat they’re maybe going to hold for three months. And not only is that an issue, but we spend money on a special election to the tune of anywhere between $25-$30,000 for an individual to sit in a seat for three months. This amendment pushes (the date) back to nine months,” she said adding the change would give the successful candidate at least six months in a seat.

The bill passed 10-2 with “no” votes from Congress members Eli Potts and John Maker.

ONCA 22-49 (Congresswoman Pam Shaw) is “An Act to authorize and appropriate the amount of $11,000 to Osage LLC for the Grayhorse broadband grant audit.”

Congresswoman Paula Stabler said Osage LLC is operating to fulfill the federal grant awarded for the Grayhorse broadband project and although the LLC has funding, the entity is using its money for any business shortfall expenses per a recent board report to Congress. “it’s an obligation for the Nation to cover these grant expenses, so I encourage you to vote for it,” she said to Congress before the vote.

The bill passed 10-2 with “no” votes from Potts and Joe Tillman.

ONCR 20-20 (Potts) is “A Resolution to request the implementation of a recycling program for all Osage Nation facilities or to have a recycling program explored and findings reported.”

According to the resolution, the Nation currently does not participate in a recycling program across its facilities and proposes: “The Osage Nation, as a good community partner, should create a recycling program or at least explore the possibility of implementing a recycling program that would apply to all of its facilities.”

The resolution passed 12-0. For more information regarding ON Congressional sessions, filed legislation and Congressional committee meetings, visit the Legislative Branch website at www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch

Author

  • Benny Polacca

    Title: Senior Reporter

    Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

    Instagram: @bpolacca

    Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

    Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

    Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

    Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

    Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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Benny Polacca
Benny Polaccahttps://osagenews.org

Title: Senior Reporter

Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

Instagram: @bpolacca

Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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