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House members OKs retirement protection bill
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Posted on May 27 2005
Twelve present members of the 18-member House of Representatives have approved the passage of an initiative prohibiting the enactment of laws that create unfunded liabilities to the retirement system.
The lawmakers passed House Legislative Initiative 14-11, which aims to amend Article 3, Section 20 of the CNMI Constitution “to protect and to ensure the integrity of the government retirement system.”
Rep. Joseph Deleon Guerrero, who authored the measure, said that in light of the CNMI government’s decision to opt out of the federal social security retirement system, the CNMI retirement pension may in fact be an employee’s only source of income upon retirement.
“The protection of the retirement system is therefore paramount and justifies a constitutional limitation on authority over government retirement benefits,” said Guerrero.
The initiative was unanimously approved by 12 members present: David Apatang, Jesus Attao, Heinz Hofschneider, Joseph Deleon Guerrero, Arnold I. Palacios, Benjamin Seman, Ray Tebuteb, Oscar M. Babauta, Clyde Norita, Janet Maratita, Timothy Villagomez, and House Speaker Benigno Fitial.
Five members were absent during the voting: Martin Ada, Norman S. Palacios, Crispin Ogo, Jesus Lizama, and Justo Quitugua.
The initiative requires affirmative votes of 3/4 of the members of each House present and voting.
It now goes to the Senate for similar passage.
