Bill seeks to repeal salaries of the casino, cannabis commissioners
Rep. Marissa Renee Flores (Ind-Saipan) formally introduced Friday a bill that seeks to repeal the salaries of the commissioners of the Commonwealth Casino Commission and the CNMI Cannabis Commission.
Flores’ House Bill 23-107 requires that the casino and cannabis commissioner receive compensation in accordance with 1 CMC Section 8247.
Section 8247 states that “the rate of compensation for meetings attended for members of all government corporations, councils, commissions, [and agencies] … shall be no more than $60 for a full day meeting and no more than $30 for a half day or less meeting; provided that the compensation shall not exceed a maximum of $6,000 per year…”
Under the current statute, the casino commissioners are compensated at the rate of $40,000 for the first year of the commission’s existence and $65,000 per annum for each year thereafter.
Under the current statute, the cannabis commissioners are compensated at a rate of $55,000 per annum.
Flores stated in the bill that a comparison of these salaries against compensation received by other commissioners and board members of entities within the CNMI government reveals a significant disparity.
She said in light of this disparity and the dire economic situation currently faced by the government, the compensation received by the casino and cannabis commissioners are disproportionately high.
Flores’ legislation rectifies the disparity in compensation between the casino and cannabis commissioners, and other similarly-situated positions within the government.
Marissa Renee Flores
