By
Benny Polacca
The Fifth Osage Nation Congress will convene for its first 2018 special session starting on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m.
On Dec. 27, the Congressional Office issued a written Request for Special Session that contained signatures from eight of the 11 Congress members. Congressman Ron Shaw submitted his resignation in late December, which took effect Jan. 1, bringing the 12-member Congress down one legislator.
Per the 2006 Osage Constitution, the Congress may call itself into a special session at the written request of two-thirds of its members. Special sessions may last up to 10 days and can be adjourned before that time limit at the will of the Congress. This will be the 11th special session of the Fifth ON Congress.
According to the special session request, the Congress will consider a resolution that authorizes a waiver of sovereign immunity and approval of an International Swaps and Derivative Association Inc. agreement (ISDA) by the Nation and the ON Gaming Enterprise to manage its interest rate on outstanding debt.
A resolution (ONCR 18-01 sponsored by Congresswoman Maria Whitehorn) regarding the ISDA and sovereign immunity waiver is filed for Congressional consideration.
The Congress will also consider bill ONCA 18-02 (also sponsored by Whitehorn) that seeks to add a new section to the Nation’s tribal law at “Title 6 Crimes and Offenses, Chapter 2 Crimes Against Persons.” According to the bill, the new law section to be added will define “Lawful Use of Force” and pertains to Osage Casino security personnel, according to the special session request.
If passed as is, ONCA 18-02 seeks to allow individuals (including security officers at the Nation’s seven-casino enterprise) “to use or attempt to offer to use force or violence” in certain instances including arresting an individual who has committed or attempted to commit an offense in his/her presence or who has an outstanding arrest warrant or when “enforcing such restraint as is necessary for the protection of the person or others, during such period only as shall be necessary to obtain legal authority for the restraint or custody of the person.”
All Congressional session and committee meetings will be held at the ON Capitol Building on Main Street in Pawhuska.
Congressional meeting notices and agendas for sessions and committee meetings are posted online to the Legislative Branch calendar at: www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/congress-legislative-branch/calendar
Original Publish Date: 2018-01-16 00:00:00
