‘Reduced budget possible for Legislature’

The House Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations is insisting that the Legislature can ably operate under a reduced budget.

In Standing Committee Report 14-134, committee chair Jesus Lizama said the legislative body can continue to function as an effective branch of government even if the operating budget of each lawmaker is reduced from $155,000 to $50,000.

In its report, though, the committee backed reducing the budget of each lawmaker from $155,000 to $75,000—not $50,000.

The committee also recommended replacing the annual salary of each lawmaker with a fixed amount “to be determined on actual attendance at legislative sessions and committee meetings, which shall be provided by law.”

The original proposal, as embodied in House Legislative Initiative 14-08, aimed to abolish the $39,300 annual salary of each lawmaker and replace it with compensation per attendance: $120 per session and $60 per committee meeting.

Lizama’s committee further recommended allowing legislators to work in the private or government sector, except in positions appointed by the governor.

The committee said that legislators are considered employees of the government. As such they participate in the retirement program and are entitled to other government employee benefits.

The panel also pushed for the removal of the provision that requires the presiding officers of both chambers to equally distribute the $400,000 that is usually allotted for the standing committees.

Lizama’s panel report was rejected during a vote by House members in a session Friday. Led by House minority members, the report was defeated, with nine “no” votes and eight “yes” votes.

Rep. Heinz S. Hofschneider described the proposal is “a self-insult” and argued that voting for it is admitting that they are “are inept and incapable of delivering effective service.”

He dared the initiative’s proponents to reduce their budgets first to see if they can operate their offices effectively. Hofschneider also said that lawmakers concerned about cost-cutting need only return to Treasury any excess funds they have without having to amend the Constitution.

Minority Rep. Joseph Deleon Guerrero also warned that allowing legislators to find work elsewhere would make the lawmaking body a “special interest” group.

Besides Hofschneider and Deleon Guerrero, others who voted “no” were minority bloc members David Apatang, Jesus Attao, Ray Tebuteb, Benjamin Seman, and Arnold I. Palacios.

From the leadership, two members voted against the measure: Reps. Janet Maratita and Norman S. Palacios.

Those who favored the part-time legislature report were House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial, Vice Speaker Timothy Villagomez, and Reps. Martin Ada, Oscar Babauta, Jesus Lizama, Clyde Norita, Crispin Ogo, and Justo Quitugua.

The JGO committee said that, with 27 legislators in the CNMI—18 House members and nine senators—the total operating budget for the Legislature is $4.2 million annually. At a $75,000 funding cap for each legislator, the government would save over $2.1 million.

“Thus the passage of this initiative will be a step toward reducing the fiscal impact of the Legislative Branch on the limited financial resources of the Commonwealth,” said the panel.

Norita, who introduced House Legislative Initiative 14-8, said that only the committee report was defeated on the floor. He said the initiative itself has yet to be decided by the members.