House ‘kills’ improved immigration status bill

The House yesterday “killed” a bill that proposed to grant improved immigration status to long-time guest workers in the CNMI.

With 13-2 votes, the House adopted the Judiciary and Governmental Operations Committee report recommending the shelving of the controversial legislation.

Only Reps. Christina Sablan and Edward Salas, who co-authored House Bill 16-86, opposed the adoption of the committee report. After a long deliberation, Rep. Victor Hocog announced his withdrawal as co-author of the bill. Rep. Heinz Hofschneider, who is also co-author, was absent.

During the deliberation, Rep. Rosemond Santos, who is chairman of the JGO Committee, said she doesn’t know how much more the committee members want to analyze the bill.

Santos said they have gone through books and listened to both sides, but because of the implementation of the federal immigration law next year, the bill is a moot point.

“And quite honestly, it’s giving false hopes,” the chair pointed out.

Sablan and Salas reiterated their initial position that the JGO Committee report was improper as it was drafted and signed only by Santos and two JGO committee members—Reps. Joseph Reyes and Edwin Aldan—“outside of a properly assembled committee meeting to review and adopt the report.”

Salas said he was shocked by the action of Santos and two others because, as members of the same committee, he and Sablan were not given the opportunity to either concur with it or not.

“I believe that is not proper!” Salas stressed.

In expressing opposition to the legislation, Rep. Diego Benavente said there are hundreds of locals who are looking for jobs and the government has been accused many times of circumventing the law to allow businesses to continue hiring nonresident workers even though there are hundreds of locals going to Labor.

“You will see a long list of our own people who are trying to find jobs, only to find out later that somehow or someway the businesses would circumvent the law to continue hiring alien workers,” said Benavente, a former lieutenant governor.

He said that federalization will result in changes in the business community and the economy.

“But really, given that we have not seen the regulation that allows for this transition period to deal with these concerns…you really can’t say that this [bill] is the answer, that this is the necessary tool,” Benavente pointed out.

Sablan said lawmakers should be given the opportunity to offer amendments and improve the bill if that is what the body wishes to happen.

Sablan appealed to members of the House that they should be given the opportunity to fully and thoughtfully debate the pressing labor and immigration issues raised by the legislation.

“I would like to appeal to you once again, do not adopt the committee report,” Sablan said before voting took place.

“It’s disappointing. I maintained my initial position that the standing committee report was improper, it was incomplete, it didn’t do justice to the three public hearings and all the comments that we received since the bill was introduced,” Sablan told Saipan Tribune after the session.

For the lawmakers who opposed the bill, Sablan noted that their opposition was not even explained or elaborated in the community report.

“My heart does go out to the people…and the businesses who are hopeful about at least a thoughtful deliberation and at least consideration of the proposal. That didn’t happen,” Sablan said.

At this point, she said, they are going to weigh future options.