Following the re-elections of representatives Paul Schmidlkofer and Paul Wesselhöft, the 2016-17 CPN Legislature met on June 27, 2016.
Resolutions in support of several issues were fully supported, including the tribe’s grant application to the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development at the Department of the Interior, a funding application for Iron Horse Industrial Park to the U.S. Department of Commerce, and applications for a community services block grant and low-income home and energy assistance program. Tribal legislators also passed a resolution supporting the tribe’s grant application to the Department of the Interior’s Tribal Energy Development Capacity Grant Program.
A resolution consolidating employment, training and education services pursuant to Public Law 102-477 passed with all 16 legislators voting in support.
The legislature also voted for a resolution officially designating the tribal seal as the official insignia of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
In tribal membership, legislators approved the voluntary relinquishment of membership for Misti Nicole Buckley and Azurerae Skye Kacura, while conditional relinquishments were approved for Danica Paige McTague and Julia Kay Simpson.
Legislators also approved the membership applications of 294 new tribal members into the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
Title 44, Chapter 3 of the tribal sales tax statutes were amended, with 15 votes in favor and one opposed. An amendment to Title 44, Chapter 7 of the tribal statutes on the bingo surcharge passed without opposition. The tribal earnings tax was repealed with 16 votes in favor.
The legislature also updated the tribal code by changing all references to the “business committee,” to henceforth refer to the “tribal legislature.”