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Hofschneider: ARPA bill was never put on calendar for action
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Posted on May 24 2021
Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider (R-Tinian) said Friday that a House bill that sought to give the Legislature appropriation powers over the CNMI’s share of American Rescue Plan Act money was never put on calendar for action during their session last Tuesday.
Hofschneider said Sen. Paul A. Manglona (Ind-Rota) had requested to put House Bill 22-33 on calendar for action, but it didn’t move past discussion.
Manglona on Friday also said that he only withdrew the motion to place the bill on calendar for action after senators agreed to consider the bill at the next Senate session. “If they didn’t agree I was ready to have the members vote on it, regardless of the result. They will have to answer to their constituents,” he said.
Manglona said it’s just that he didn’t agree with the legal opinions on the House’s “tie-breaker rule.”
“I argued that the House rules was legal,” he pointed out.
During Tuesday’s Senate session, Senate legal counsel Joe Bermudes recommended not to act at this time on the bill pending his review of the contrasting opinions on the House’s “tie-breaker rule.” Senators then all agreed that the bill shall remain before the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee chaired by Sen. Victor B. Hocog (R-Rota).
Last March 9, House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) voted twice—as authorized under House’s tie-breaker rule—to break a 10-10 tie to pass House Bill 22-22, authored by Rep. Donald M. Manglona (Ind-Rota).
Attorney General Edward Manibusan later issued an opinion, saying the rule, which allows the speaker to vote twice in the event of a tie, contravenes the CNMI Constitution.
