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House to tackle FY 2012 budget bill tomorrow
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Posted on Aug 28 2011
The House of Representatives is expected to tackle the long-awaited fiscal year 2012 budget bill tomorrow, a month before the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1.
House floor leader George Camacho (Ind-Saipan) said yesterday that a House session to act on the budget is planned for tomorrow, but there’s no specific time yet.
Ways and Means Committee chair Rep. Ray Basa (Cov-Saipan) introduced the $102 million budget bill on Friday, a day after Lt. Gov. Eloy S. Inos said the Fitial administration has been preparing for another partial government shutdown.
Basa told reporters that they will now be focused on passing the budget bill, especially now that the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation has already passed the local casino bill.
Senate President Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) said the Senate is just awaiting the passage of a budget bill from the House.
Some senators said the House’s delay in passing a budget bill gives the Senate only a month to review the budget bill and work with the House to address concerns.
Last year’s deadlock between the House and Senate on the budget bill led to the partial government shutdown that forced over 1,000 government employees to be out of jobs for days, until a budget was passed and signed into law.
Basa’s House Bill 17-215 retains the unpaid legal holidays and 16-hour work cuts biweekly.
