Bill setting delegate polls procedures passes House

The House of Representatives has passed a bill that establishes procedures for the election of a CNMI delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.

With a majority 16-3 vote, the House approved House Bill 16-112. Reps. Heinz Hofschneider, Tina Sablan, and Oscar Babauta voted against the bill during Monday’s session.

The bill calls for the election of delegate at the special election on Nov. 4, 2008, and at such elections every two years thereafter.

Introduced by Rep. Diego T. Benavente and two other lawmakers, the legislation proposes that a term of the delegate shall commence on Jan. 3 following the date of election.

Under the proposed measure, the governor shall reprogram $60,000 from the Office of the Resident Representative’s account to the Commonwealth Election Commission for the first delegate election.

The Election Commission would be given expenditure authority over the reprogrammed funds.