Poker bill deferred again

The House of Representatives deferred action on a poker control and licensing bill because it reportedly contains provisions that contradict the poker initiative that the Saipan Chamber of Commerce had submitted for this year’s polls.

House members also said there is a possibility that those who signed the poker petition may not all be qualified voters.

The law requires that a popular initiative is backed or is petitioned by at least 20 percent of registered voters. There are about 16,000 voters in the CNMI.

In an interview, House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial said the petition, which is now with the Attorney General’s Office, is a major consideration in the deferment of the bill.

“We need to wait for the AGO’s certification. Should it goes through, we don’t want to contradict what’s in there,” said Fitial.

“For now, we don’t know whether those who signed the petition are in fact eligible,” he added.

He said that the AGO has up to Aug. 5 to certify the initiative. A popular initiative must be submitted for inclusion in the year’s election 90 days before the actual polls.

Further, Fitial said that a floor amendment was made on the House bill, which runs contrary to the original intent of the proposal.

He cited that an amendment offered by Rep. Jesus Attao aims to suspend the application of the bill on existing poker shops.

In particular, Attao proposes that the 250-foot distance required of poker shops from schools and churches be not imposed on existing poker businesses “because it would hurt them.”

The bill, authored by Rep. Clyde Norita, provides that no amusement machine shall be operated within 250 feet from the closest boundary of any public or private school, childcare center, nurseries, and churches. It also prohibits operations of these machines adjacent to or within the same facility or complex and under the same roof where commercial laundromats or grocery stores are located.

Earlier, Rep. David Apatang had moved to amend the bill to reduce the distance requirement from 250 feet to the current policy of 100 feet, but this motion was defeated.

“His proposal would be inconsistent with the proposal’s language,” said Fitial.

Meantime, minority leader Arnold I. Palacios said that the Chamber’s poker initiative and the House bill have different opinions on where to place the poker shops.

He said the poker initiative limits the poker shops only to the Middle Road and Beach Road. The bill, on the other hand, extends the location way south past the Pacific Islands Club hotel, continuing on the main road of Koblerville, up to As Lito Road, and turning west toward Beach Road at Microl Corp.

Likewise, it allows poker shops on Middle Road, all the way to the north up to the La Fiesta building area.

In another development, H.B. 14-267 now contains an amendment which aims to impose a $4,000 poker fee increase, as pushed by Palacios. This would raise the annual licensing fee of poker machines to $10,000 each.