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Speaker insists on Ogo’s report
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Posted on May 15 2006
House Speaker Oscar M. Babauta stood his ground yesterday, maintaining that House Ways and Means Committee chair Rep. Crispin Ogo needs to report on the proposed wage reduction bill, whether he agrees with it or not.
“Personally, he is not supporting the bill, but I told him that, as chairman of the committee, he needs to discharge his duty to go through the process—make a report and submit it for floor deliberation,” said Babauta.
Ogo, who was earlier instructed by the speaker to do the report, has remained firm about shelving the proposal in his committee.
“I am not endorsing it. It will remain in my committee,” Ogo said Friday.
Ogo said that, as chairman of the committee, he would not initiate efforts to pass the bill, citing widespread opposition from the public.
“I continue to expect him to sit down with his committee, get the committee’s concurrence, and come up with a comprehensive report or a recommendation whether to pass it or not,” said Babauta.
Ogo’s committee has House Bill 15-115, which seeks to reduce by 10 percent the uniform salary schedules for civil service personnel.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Absalon Waki, whom Ogo had taken out from his committee recently.
The wage reduction bill, which has a counterpart measure in the Senate, is a key component of the Fitial administration’s cost-saving program.
