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Lawmakers assure of funding for CARLA
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Posted on Jun 18 2005
Lawmakers have given assurances that the Carolinian Related Language Assistance project will get its needed funding.
Rep. Justo S. Quitugua said the House leadership is fully supportive of the CARLA project and would make sure that it is funded.
“We’re all supporting it but you can’t take funding from another project to fund it. We’re now working with our legal counsel in drafting an appropriation bill for the CARLA project,” said Quitugua Friday.
Quitugua is the author of House Local Bill 14-52, which was amended and re-amended Wednesday during the Saipan and Northern Island Legislative Delegation to delete the $100,000 funding for CARLA project.
Minority bloc congressman Ramon Tebuteb, who amended the bill for CARLA funding, had expressed dismay over the deletion of the provision. He accused leadership lawmakers of lack of concern and disregard for the Carolinian language project.
Quitugua said, though, that Tebuteb’s motion to source the funding from a Precinct 2 project was inappropriate. He said that, unknown to Tebuteb, the remaining $120,000 from a road project, had already been committed.
“It’s up for bidding. The contract has not been routed because it’s still being announced. If we went ahead to re-appropriate the money, then Public Works would have to cancel the project,” said Quitugua.
H.B.14-52 was voted unanimously during the SNILD session last Wednesday but it was later recalled to remove the CARLA funding.
Rep. Oscar M. Babauta, for his part, said that Tebuteb’s amendment was wrong because he was taking money from a Precinct 2 project. “He’s taking the money from my precinct. He can’t do that,” said Babauta.
He also said that he and Quitugua will co-author a bill appropriating funds for the CARLA project.
