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Too hot to handle MVA holds off action on gun bill
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Posted on Oct 30 2000
The Marianas Visitors Authority Board deferred voting on a controversial proposal seeking to establish the so-called shooting resorts in the Northern Marianas.
Board members are divided on the issue on whether or not to support HB 12-212, which seeks to ease the tough gun control law in the CNMI. While most of the business groups in the CNMI have already submitted their position on the controversial bill now pending in the Senate, MVA has yet to make a stand on the proposed legislation.
During Friday’s board meeting, directors Marian Aldan-Pierce and Julian S. Calvo said they were not ready to cast their vote on the issue. Board members Roberta Guerrero and Miyoshi Fujita said they oppose the passage of the bill because they want to maintain Saipan as a family destination in the CNMI.
Board Chair Dave M. Sablan was the only one who pushed for the approval of the bill because it will provide additional investment to the islands. “The CNMI is not the most attractive place to do business so we should not procrastinate to vote on it,” he said.
Mr. Sablan said he wanted the legislation to emphasize that there will only be two shooting resorts on the island to make sure that the investor is assured of a return on investment.
He said he has seen the operation of a shooting resort in Korea thus, he is fully convinced that safety measures will be strictly followed by the proponents.
The Hotel Association of Northern Mariana Islands and the Saipan Chamber of Commerce have opposed the approval of the bill because of the danger the entry of guns in the CNMI will pose on the security of the island.
However, Mr. Sablan said it was unfortunate that the lack of people’s understanding on the concept of the a shooting resort has resulted in negative perception on the proposed legislation.
With the decline in the island’s tourism economy, Mr. Sablan said the establishment of a shooting resort will open the CNMI to a different type of tourist market.
Korean firm Union Rich Saipan has already proposed to invest in major commercial infrastructures on the islands and shooting resorts amounting to over $25 million. (Lindablue F. Romero)
