Hale bill would
allocate $7.5 million to build
a Navajo Nation
Supreme Court Complex

“Currently,
the Navajo Nation Supreme Court lacks a home that appropriately reflects our
values,” Hale said. “The highest court in a nation should be housed in a
complex that inspires confidence and instills trust in the judicial system. At
the same time, it must be functional. The plans for the new Supreme Court
Complex accomplish all of this.”
Hale’s bill,
HB2559, would direct money from Arizona’s general fund to the state’s
Department of Economic Security and then distributed to the Navajo Nation
specifically for the construction of the new court complex.
“The Navajo
Nation has long desired and needed facilities for the administration of justice
that would express the respect for law and the dignity and integrity of the
Navajo justice system. The Judicial Branch appreciates and fully supports the
efforts of Rep. Hale in seeking funding for the construction of these
facilities,” Navajo Nation Chief Justice Herb Yazzie said. “The proposed
facilities have already been designed, and all that is left is to obtain
construction funding. We thank Rep. Hale for his efforts to demonstrate the
collaboration between two sovereigns to meet the needs of the people.”
The entire
construction project is expected to cost about $15 million. The Navajo Nation
is expected to contribute the other $7.5 million to complete the project.
“For too
long, our Supreme Court has been operating out of substandard facilities, and
the people working for the Supreme Court have been making the best of this
situation. The design plans for the new complex show that the buildings will
incorporate Navajo teachings and promote peacemaking sessions. It will be a
point of pride.
“The state of
Arizona should be and must be a part of the Navajo Nation’s enhancement of an
impartial judiciary. The Supreme Court plays a critical and essential role in
resolving disputes for all who come before it. This includes non-Indians and
non-Indian owned businesses from off the Navajo Nation,” Hale said.
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Rep. Hale is an
enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. He was born in Ganado and raised in
Klagetoh, Arizona. He is Ashiihi (Salt), born for Todichiini (Bitter Water).
His maternal grandparents are Hanaghani (Walk About clan). His paternal
grandparents are Kiyanii (Tall House clan). He is a 1969 graduate of Fort
Wingate High School, a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school located east of
Gallup, New Mexico. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State
University, Tempe, Arizona (1973), and a Juris Doctor degree from the
University of New Mexico School of Law, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1977), and an honorary Juris Doctor degree
from Phoenix School of Law (2012). He is the former President of the
Navajo Nation.
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