Salary bill finally signed into law

The annual compensation of all 29 members of the 21st CNMI Legislature is secured at $32,000 after Gov. Ralph DLG Torres finally signed into law the salary bill that was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate in the previous Legislature. All bills passed in the 20th Legislature can still become a law if it was already transmitted to the Governor’s Office.

According to Article II Section 7 (b) of the CNMI Constitution, the governor has 20 days in considering to sign all appropriation bills while 40 days are appropriated for other legislation. A bill automatically becomes law if the governor fails to act on it—either by signing or vetoing the legislation, based on the said number of days.

House Bill 20-197, introduced by former House speaker Rafael S. Demapan in the 20th Legislature, is an act that establishes a new salary level for members of the CNMI Legislature. The House, in an emergency session, passed it last Jan. 10 and the Senate followed suit last Jan. 11. It is now Public Law 20-86.

The bill had ping-ponged from the Legislature to the Governor’s Office after the measure, introduced twice by former representative Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero as H.B. 20-194 ($39,300) and H.B. 20-195 ($32,000), were consecutively vetoed by then acting governor Victor B. Hocog and Torres in a span of a month.

Hocog, when he vetoed H.B. 20-194 as the acting governor, said he made the hard decision based on the advice from the Office of the CNMI Attorney General that the Advisory Commission went against the CNMI Constitution in developing their own composite price index. He added that he accepts the $32,000 amount that was also recommended by the Commission.

The bill went back to the Legislature with Deleon Guerrero reintroducing it as H.B. 20-195 and $32,000 as the amount, which was of the commission’s recommendation that went as high as $47,555.47 per annum based on the locally accepted CPI.

The bill was again passed by the bicameral body, but Torres vetoed it again after the House, according to the AG, did not meet the three-fourth number of votes needed.

This prompted Demapan to introduce H.B. 20-197 and called for an emergency session last Thursday so they could act on the legislation that was transmitted to the Senate in time for their sine die session the following day. The Senate passed the bill before they concluded.

House Speaker Blas Jonathan T. Attao (R-Saipan) and Rep. Ivan A. Blanco (R-Saipan) thanked Torres for finally signing the bill on the basis of the recommendation of Attorney General Edward Manibusan.

“I appreciate the fact that governor Torres has signed the legislation [H.B. 20-197] so that the members of the 21st Legislature are now aware as to what salary level they will be receiving,” Attao told Saipan Tribune.

“I’m sure the advice provided by to the governor from the AG’s office is sound and reflective of the previous veto messages transmitted to the Legislature. Although it clears up the salary situation for the members of the 21st Legislature, I personally believe that all the members [House and Senate] are more excited of the work ahead of us rather than the salaries that we are set to receive.”

Blanco, the new House Ways and Means Committee chair, echoed Attao’s sentiments. “I understand this is the AG’s interpretation of the correct salary cap based on whatever the accepted CPI is. I thank governor Torres, the Salary Commission, the AG, and members and staff of the Legislature for working together to effectuate the intent of our constitution.”