PEMBROKE — The parliamentarian for the Lumbee Tribal Council says that the tribal speaker ignored his ruling that the council failed to muster the necessary two-thirds majority votes to override Chairman Paul Brooks’ veto of the tribe’s fiscal 2012-13 budget, and instead announced that the override had passed.
According to Councilman Terry Hunt, the parliamentarian, he told Speaker Pearlean Revels during a brief recess after the 13-7 vote on May 17 that in his opinion the motion did not pass. Revels returned to the meeting and announced that the council had overridden the chairman’s veto, said Hunt.
When asked by a reporter if she had been advised by Hunt before she announced the outcome of the vote that the motion to override the veto had failed, Revels said: “I don’t care what he said I knew, and I don’t appreciate a statement like that in the media. I have no comments. I have no comments.”
Revels did acknowledge that she announced that the motion to override the veto had passed, and that she does not know what “action the council will take” in light of the parliamentarian’s ruling.
Hunt, at the request of a council member he did not identify, said Wednesday that he has followed up his initial recommendation with a “thorough review” of the vote. The results, he said, were presented in a written report to council members during a Finance Committee meeting Tuesday.
“In my position as parliamentarian, it is my responsibility to ensure that tribal law, tribal rules and regulations and Robert’s Rules of Order are adhered to in the conduct of tribal business at Tribal Council meetings,” Hunt said in his statement. “It is my opinion that based on the Lumbee Tribal Constitution, tribal law and prior tribal court rulings that on the vote to override the veto of the tribal chairman related to the Fiscal Year 2012-13 budget, the Tribal Council failed to achieve two-thirds majority of votes necessary to override the chairman’s veto. It is my opinion that the announcement that the motion passed was incorrect and the motion failed for lack of affirmative votes.”
Hunt said he believes that the tribe must continue to operate on a continuing resolution that requires the tribal government to operate at the same funding level as it did during the previous fiscal year.
Fourteen votes are needed for an override by the full 21-member council, but only 20 council members were present for the vote. Thirteen out out of 20 is 65 percent, short of the two-thirds majority.
“Some of the council members didn’t like what I had to say, but my job as parliamentarian is to see that the law is followed,” Hunt said. “At the end of the night, even McDuffie (Cummings), the Finance Committee chairman, agreed with the findings.”
Neither Cummings or Brooks could be reached for this story.
Tribal Administrator Tony Hunt said this morning that the administration has not been advised by the Tribal Council what would happen next.
“We have our tentative numbers for next year’s (2013-14) budget and are working on that,” Hunt said. “… What’s important is that we are continuing to ensure that services are getting out to our tribal members.”
The council in March had approved a $24.9 million budget for the fiscal year that began last October. Most of the budget is made up of money received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Cummings at the May 17 meeting said that the council’s proposed 2012-13 budget was comprehensive. He said that the budget included all of the projects that had been approved for any of the tribal districts.
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as a reply to culture. Have you ever studied the Red Man's Lodges or Lodge movements of Robesonian county? Your racist's comments have no place on this or any other blog. Our cultural classes do a great job? BTW, have you read the accounts of Vernon Cooper, Mary Locklear, and the studies of Mary Margaret Steedly and Edward Croom? Have you read the 12 governmental studies conducted by the Smithsonian etc. including Ella Deloria, about our people? When elders pass away, tribes lose valueable knolwedge. We are teaching our tribal knowledge to our young people. What is the difference in what we are doing than what other Indian nations are doing with their culture classes in preserving our culture? I but I forgot you won't entertain any idea that is the truth. Hey Ross, Epta Tewa Newasin'. Bet we'll be teaching that again soon, too! Hack!!! Oh by the way C. C. "1/256" Watts says hi!!!
Why is it my post was displayed and now it's taken off???? What was wrong with was said...? It's only the truth... Someone up there must be in someone's pocket???
Thus when American Indian tribes hold classes (which they do all over the country) in which they teach/transmit their culture, they may be teaching/transmitting any or all of the above listed aspects of human existence.
As for your comment about language, I did not think it merited a response. Perhaps you should read "Fine In The World: Lumbee Language In Time And Place" (Wolfram, Dannenburg, Knick and Oxendine; 2003) for a broader perspective than you manifest here.
Example: The "gangster thug culture", do they have classes on Monday and Thursday to teach this lifestyle or is it "learned" from their "elders" and surroundings and passed down from each generation?
Try that lame excuse with someone else, it wont get by me.
ps. And you conveniently ignored what I said about the language...
Ross, plain ol Robesonian...oh, and proud too.
You need to get checked out!
Your post use to be plausible but recently they have been way off base.
Please post only meaningful comments and keep the nonsense to yourself!
Wow, that's nice to know. You agree with me as long as I don't cross the line.
Don't work that way with me, I treat all equal and say the truth and let the chips fall where they may...
ps. Prove me wrong with facts.
Anyways, I'm not surprised by more infighting. These idiots don't realize they're shooting themselves int the foot when it comes to the recognition they think they deserve. Speaking of that, the tribe was recognized by the federal government in the 1950s but not given money, so for them to say it's not about the money is a nothing but lies. Everything they do is about money and not about the advancement or INDEPENDENCE of the people.
So until they start acting like civilized people, both the tribal government and the "enrolled" members, I will say that I'm just Native American or white.
Well well...I think we are finally getting the message out that we don't want federal recognition or the sinful money attached.
Also WakeUpRob, what tribe has classes to teach their "traditions"? I would think traditions would be passed down from one generation to another and we'd all know em. Out of 57,000 members not one can speak "lumbee language" either...not one.
I would guess that there are several other council members who still can't figure out what all the fuss is about!
We that matter agree with you. You that don't..well you don't matter
Do like any other group and raise the money yourselves and stop mooching off the taxpayer. We are getting fed up with paying for you children to sit up there and fight, cuss and scream every time you get together.
Like moma used to say: "if yall can't play together without fighting, I'ma spank all of you".
It's like a fat person, if I say "you're fat" all I did was say it, but you are the one who made yourself fat, not me...get it?
ps.Lil man...