In 2009, the Navajo People overwhelmingly voted in support of an initiative to approve the line item veto authority for the Navajo Nation President, to stop wasteful spending and the mismanagement of the Navajo People's money. The line item veto initiative developed due to the mismanagement of the Navajo people’s money by the Council, including over $30 million that was allocated for discretionary funds that eventually led to the removal and resignation of several former Council members. Since the Navajo people approved the initiative in 2009, the line item veto authority has saved and protected tens of millions of dollars of the Navajo people’s money. 

Since the initiative was approved in 2009, the Navajo Nation Council has made several attempts to challenge the voices of the Navajo People by putting forth legislations to change and amend the initiative language approved by voters in 2009, and to unlawfully override line item vetoes executed by the President, which is strictly prohibited by the initiative language. 

In July 2020, Council Delegate Daniel Tso and co-sponsor Speaker Seth Damon introduced Legislation No. 0153-20, seeking to codify the language of the 2009 initiative by including it in Title II of the Navajo Nation Code, which would make it subject to amendments and changes by the Navajo Nation Council. This would eliminate and do away with the Navajo people’s right to repeal or amend the line item veto initiative. 

By signing this petition, you are upholding the voices of the Navajo people and telling the 24th Navajo Nation Council to do what is right by voting down Legislation No. 0153-20, which is making its way through the legislative process now. In addition to signing this petition, we ask you to submit opposing comments for Legislation No. 0153-20 by e-mail to the following three email addresses:
comments@navajo-nsn.gov
24thNNC@navajo-nsn.gov
navajonationpubliccomments@gmail.com

We thank you for upholding the votes of the Navajo People! Ahe'hee'