Fitial holds off signing local casino bill, mulls geothermal project loan
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial is holding off signing the local bill legalizing casino gambling on Saipan at least until the passage of a new House casino bill, said lawmakers who met with the governor on Saturday wherein the latter also mulled applying for a federal loan to fund a geothermal power plant project.
Rep. Stanley Torres (Ind-Saipan) and Rep. Joseph Palacios (R-Saipan) separately said yesterday the governor still has 40 days or until early October to act on Torres’ local casino bill.
Palacios said the new House casino bill that is being drafted is similar to Torres’ local bill except for the distribution of revenue, and is expected to be introduced and passed in the House soon.
“If the Senate passes it, then the governor, I think, will sign it. If not, then he will sign the local bill. I think the governor thinks it’s better if the bill is something that the Senate also agrees on,” said Palacios.
Torres echoed this, saying the governor has some reluctance signing the local bill right away “without waiting for a bicameral casino bill.”
House Speaker Eli Cabrera (R-Saipan) and other members of the House leadership met with Fitial on Saturday noon.
Torres and Palacios said the governor also talked about the administration’s plan to apply for a federal loan to fund a geothermal power plant project.
Both support the project, saying it will be able to lower the rate of power in the CNMI.
At Fitial’s invitation, Alaska-based investor Bernie Karl visited Saipan last week. Karl has earned national recognition for his pioneering work on geothermal energy and the Fitial administration would like to duplicate such success in the CNMI.
