OKMULGEE, Okla. – The Mar. 29 Regular Session of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation National Council was not without controversy as a disagreement broke out over the specifics of a bill, NCR 25-001, which would adopt the rules and procedures for the National Council.
Representative Mark Randolph of the Kowetv District, one of the bill’s sponsors, made a motion to adopt the bill, which was seconded by Representative Nelson Harjo of the Okmulke District. Rep. Randolph then began to discuss two amendments that he wished to add to the bill, as is allowed by procedural rules.
However, Representative Robert Hufft of the Tvlse District interrupted Rep. Randolph, putting a motion forward to adopt the rules as is and to send the amendments back to the Internal Affairs Committee. Rep. Hufft received a second, and the motion went through, superseding Rep. Randolph’s motion to discuss the amendments.
Mvskoke Media reached out to Rep. Randolph and Representative Robyn Whitecloud of the Okmulke District, who spoke publicly about the bill on Facebook, as well as Representative Hufft.
According to an email from Rep.Whitecloud, this caused several representatives – Representatives Barnett, Gouge, Harjo, McHenry, Osborn, Randolph, and Whitecloud – to vote against the bill in protest of the move by Rep. Hufft, who they viewed as having gone against procedure.
This protest vote would lead to a split vote, and the bill was eventually adopted with a vote of 8-7.
When asked about further steps he intended to take regarding his amendments being sent back to the Internal Affairs committee, Rep. Randolph replied:
I’ve taken the necessary steps to ask that specific questions be answered internally to ensure NCA 25-001 was handled according to Robert’s Rules of Order and our own Rules of Procedures. I would also like to know if the motion made by Representative Hufft violates our Rules of Procedure.
Nowhere in the Rules of Procedure does it state all amendments have to be taken through the Internal Affairs Committee. The ability to make amendments on the floor while we were addressing NCA 25-001 was confirmed by our Speaker and our Lawyer Friday the day before the Council meeting via email to the full Council. … We all make mistakes, but we must learn from those mistakes and make sure we do not continue to repeat the same mistake.
Rep. Randolph’s comments and concerns were echoed by Rep. Whitecloud, who replied that the amendments that both she and Rep. Randolph wished to make had already been previously discussed at a work session on Jan. 20, 2025, where anyone who had amendments to make was told to make them there.
“I was dismayed that the amendment discussion was cut short, Rep Randolph did not get to finish his discussion and I did not get the opportunity to address the amendments I had,” Rep. Whitecloud said.
“On 1/7/25, the council as a whole was asked to read over the revisions and if anyone had questions or wanted to make additional amendments to submit those on 1/13/25 and they would be discussed at a work session held on 1/20/25. Rep Randolph and myself were the only ones that submitted amendments at that time; the amendments I wanted to address on 3/29/25 are the same amendments I shared with the Council on 1/20/25…”
As of presstime, Rep. Hufft did not respond to a request for comment.
