INFORMATION MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR "AKWESASNE TOBACCO MANUFACTURING AND PRODUCTS LAW"

TERRITORY OF AKWESASNE – The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne hereby gives notice of Information Meetings for the proposed draft Akwesasne Tobacco Manufacturing and Products Law on the following dates, times and locations:

•District of Kawehno:ke –

Saturday, November 8, 2014 from 10:00am-12:00pm at the Tri-District Elders Building

•District of Tsi Snaihne –

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Snye Recreation Centre

•District of Kana:takon –

Thursday, November 20, 2014 from 1:30pm-3:30pm at the Kana:takon Recreation Centre

The ‘Akwesasne Tobacco Law’ Working Task Group has completed their mandate to develop a comprehensive tobacco law that has been presented to Council for acceptance in principle in accordance with the Law Enactment Procedural Regulation Section 6.0 Phase II Acceptance In Principle of an Akwesasne Law. The proposed draft was accepted in principle at the September 16, 2014 Council Meeting.

The Working Task Group for the development of a comprehensive Akwesasne Tobacco Manufacturing and Products Law has concluded drafting the proposed law. 

The proposed draft law will now proceed to Phase III of the Law Enactment Procedural Regulation (MCR 2014/2015-#201 dated October 3, 2014).

The Akwesasne Justice Department will mail copies of the proposed Akwesasne Tobacco Manufacturing and Products Law to every household by October 24, 2014.  If you have not received a copy in your mailbox before the scheduled Information Meetings, you can request a copy of the draft law to be mailed to you, personally.  Contact the Akwesasne Justice Department at 613-575-2250 ext. 2400 with the relevant mailing address so a copy can be delivered to you.

Residents are asked to review the proposed draft law prior to the Information Meetings.  These meetings will provide community members the opportunity to ask the Working Task Group questions on the proposed draft law, as well as giving the community the opportunity to provide comments and suggestions.

The sessions will be recorded and the comments will be given to the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne for consideration.  The Working Task Group will then incorporate any recommendations by the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, with the draft changes being reviewed by the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne’s Legal Advisor.  Once complete, the changes will be presented to Council for adoption and/or further revisions.

If the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne accepts the revisions/recommendations, a Mohawk Council Resolution will be presented at a future Council Meeting to accept the final draft in principle for ratification.  Once accepted, Council will set a date for a vote by secret ballot at a Special General Meeting or vote by Referendum.

The dates for ratification vote by either method must be posted at least thirty days in advance.  A full text of the proposed final law will be published in the local newspaper and on the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne website.

Residents are asked to review the proposed draft law.  Once mailed, copies of the draft document will be available at the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne public buildings:

In Kana:takon:

·Admin 1 (Administration Building)

· Admin 2 (MCA Government Building)

·Angus Mitchell Memorial Building (Akwesasne Justice Department)

· Kanonhkwatsheri:io (Medical and Social Services Building)

In Tsi Snaihne:

·Iohahi:io (Adult Learning Centre)

In Kawehno:ke:

·CIA #3 (Administration Building)

·Peacetree Mall (Bank of Montreal)

For more information please contact the Akwesasne Justice Department at 613-575-2250 x 2400.