Only one bill was passed during the 2024 special legislative session, and it had nothing to do with crime.

House Bill 1 focused on funding for flood and fire response funding, pilot projects, healthcare, and resources for the courts.

The bill took over $200,000 from legislative cash balances for expenses from the session. One hundred million dollars from the general fund went toward several agencies for expenses related to wildfire relief. They gave $3 million to the Administrative Office of the Courts for assisted outpatient treatment programs and competency diversion pilot programs.

However, the Senate and House adjourned within six hours on July 18 without addressing a majority of...

Competency isn’t the only thing lawmakers will be discussing. Lujan Grisham released a statement on July 17 outlining several pressing issues necessitating legislative intervention besides criminal competency:

Mental Health Treatment Standards: Current definitions of “danger to self” and “danger to others” are inadequate, preventing individuals with severe mental illness from receiving necessary care.

Crime Reporting: Inconsistent crime and ballistic reporting by local law enforcement agencies hampers effective criminal investigations.

Pedestrian Safety: New Mexico leads the nation in pedestrian fatalities, with many accidents involving individuals on medians.

Gun Violence...

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Leading to the start of the 2024 Summer Session, 25th Navajo Nation Council Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty led an anti-drunk driving advocacy walk with parents Darlene and Dave Peshlakai who lost their two daughters in a tragic drunk driving accident.

The Peshlakais annually host the Angels vs. Drunk Driving Awareness Walk, an event dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of drunk driving. The Peshlakais’ daughters, Deshauna and Del Lynn, were killed in a fatal drunk-driving accident in March 2010, as they were returning home from a basketball game in Santa Fe.

“Thank you to all the families who participated, this was an awareness walk for to stop...

Council claims president was tardy

Staff Reports

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren chose to present his State of the Navajo Nation address on Facebook Live on July 15 after the Navajo Nation Council spent 45 minutes debating his being 46 seconds late and then moved on to the Navajo Nation Chief Justice’s report.

“You need to be here, President. Don’t laugh at us about it,” Council Delegate Vince James, a frequent critic of the President’s, told him. “Be here on time. So now we are all over the place.”

Nygren’s speech focused on unity, harmony and working together. He cited the successes the executive and legislative branches recently achieved...