By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX -- A large stretch of northern and eastern Arizona will be getting a new state legislator.
Rep. Arlando Teller, D-Chinle, announced Monday he is stepping down.
He is going to become a member of the Biden administration, serving as deputy assistant secretary for tribal affairs in the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The move now requires the Apache County Board of Supervisors, where Teller lived, to appoint a panel within seven days to screen applicants and, within another five days recommend the names of three people to replace him. They are required to be Democrats, like Teller.
That final decision is up to the supervisors.
Teller, elected to the House in 2018, has been at the forefront of efforts to allow students to wear items of "cultural significance'' to their graduation ceremonies. That also includes "traditional tribal regalia,'' including eagle feathers or eagle plumes.
He said the idea was to be as inclusive as possible, covering not just indigenous people but also "Polynesian descent or other cultures that are here in Arizona.''
"As you know, Arizona is a multi-diverse state,'' he said during debate on the measure last year.
"Some of those communities, students are graduating and they have pride,'' Teller continued. "They want to showcase that pride.''
The legislation died before the session ended early last year due to the pandemic.
Teller has a background in transportation issues, having worked in the Navajo tribe's transportation division since 2009, including as deputy director since 2016. Prior to that he worked for Caltrans, the California Department of Transportation.
The legislative district, the largest by geographic area of the state, encompasses parts of Mohave, Coconino, Apache, Navajo, Gila, Pinal and Graham counties. But by law, the replacement is chosen from the county of residence.
