The Eighth Osage Nation Congress reelected Alice Goodfox as Speaker and Pam Shaw as Second Speaker and both will serve their second years in the Congressional leadership posts.
On April 24 as the 2023 Hun-Kah Session ended, the Congress held its annual officer elections and formed its select and standing committees which also have a one-year duration.
Congressional Clerk Brooklyn Kemble presided over the Speaker election and asked for nominees.
Congresswoman Brandy Lemon nominated Goodfox for the position and Congressman Billy Keene seconded the motion. No other Congress members were nominated, and Congressman Scott BigHorse motioned for nominees to cease with Lemon seconding the motion.
Congresswoman Jodie Revard then motioned “to elect Congresswoman Goodfox to the position of Speaker by acclamation.” Keene and BigHorse both seconded the motion.
Kemble asked for a voice vote on the motion and the 11 Congress members present voted “yes” for Goodfox to serve another year as Speaker. Congressman Eli Potts was absent during the 24th and final day of the Hun-Kah Session.
“Congresswoman Goodfox has been elected as Speaker,” Kemble announced. Goodfox then returned to the Speaker’s seat and presided over the Second Speaker election. “Thank you, I promise to do my best,” Goodfox told her legislative colleagues.
Goodfox then asked for Second Speaker nominees. Congresswoman Jodie Revard nominated Shaw for the position and Keene seconded the motion. No other nominations were made for the position as well and Goodfox motioned for nominations to cease with Keene seconding.
“Congresswoman Shaw is now Second Speaker by acclamation,” Goodfox announced.
Re-elected in the June 6, 2022, General Election, Goodfox is in her fourth Congressional term and her tenure includes serving as Second Speaker for two years and she’s chaired various Congressional committees as well.
Shaw is serving her first term after winning a Congressional seat in the 2020 General Election. During her tenure on the Seventh ON Congress, Shaw served as chair for the Congressional Commerce, Gaming and Land Committee. As Second Speaker, Shaw serves as Chief Administrative Officer of the Congressional Office to manage day-to-day operations and its staff and she will serve as Chair of the Congressional Affairs Committee, per Congressional Rules.
Afterward, the Congress members formed new Congressional committees. The select and standing committees are responsible for hearing government budgets, legislative bills/ resolutions and other issues pertaining to the programs, departments, businesses, entities and branches of the Nation. Each committee holds its own meetings and reports back to the whole of Congress.
The 2023-2024 Congressional committees are:
Select Committees
Congressional Affairs – Shaw (Chair), Whitney Red Corn, Otto Hamilton, Joe Tillman, Scott BigHorse
Appropriations – Revard (Chair), Shaw (Vice Chair), Hamilton, Paula Stabler, Goodfox, Red Corn
Membership – Potts (Chair), Tillman, John Maker
Rules, Ethics and Engrossment – Keene (Chair), BigHorse, Hamilton
Standing Committees
Commerce, Gaming and Land – Revard (Chair), Lemon (Vice Chair), Hamilton (Representative to Appropriations Committee), Tillman, Keene, Stabler
Education – Red Corn (Chair and AP Rep.), Potts (Vice Chair), BigHorse, Hamilton, Maker, Shaw
Culture – Bighorse (Chair), Shaw (Vice Chair), Goodfox (AP Rep.), Stabler, Keene, Maker
Government Operations – Lemon (Chair), Maker (Vice Chair), Shaw (AP Rep.), Revard, Red Corn, Keene
Health and Social Services – Stabler (Chair and AP Rep.), Red Corn (Vice Chair), Lemon, Hamilton, Maker, BigHorse For more information on sessions, committees and filed legislation, visit the Congress/ Legislative Branch website at: www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch