Torres signs five bills into law
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres enacted last week several bills, majority of which are House bills.
Over the weekend, Torres signed House Bill 20-92 into Public Law 20-06, which allows the Public School System to reprogram funding obtained in last year’s supplemental appropriations amounting $10 million and use it to fund the Early Head Start and Head Start Center.
The issue came about after Education Commissioner Cynthia Deleon Guerrero wrote to Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee chair Sen. Jude Hofschneider (R-Tinian) requesting flexibility in programming the supplemental appropriations received last year.
Hofschneider drafted a bill to address the issue; however, it got retracted since the bill was considered an appropriation bill, which means it should emanate from the House of Representatives.
It fell upon Rep. Angel Demapan (R-Saipan) to author the House equivalent of Hofschneider’s bill that is now law.
Torres also enacted House Bill 20-45 HD1, which establishes new public highways—Route 324 in the village of Laulau and Route 325 in the village of Kannat Tabla on Saipan.
Rep. Lorenzo I. Deleon Guerrero (Ind-Saipan) authored the bill to establish Route 324, also known as Laulau Bay Drive, to connect it to Route 31, or Isa Drive and Route 34, or Kagman Road.
Route 325, also known as Kannat Tabla Drive, was established to connect to Route 31, or Isa Drive, and Route 30, or Chalan Pale Arnold Road.
The governor also signed a Tinian local bill as well as two Rota local bills into laws.
Tinian, through Tinian Local Law 20-03, would be appropriated $2 million. Some $1.2 million would restore the 25 percent cut in the pensions of retirees and survivors; $485,000 is to address the third and final payment of the $1.35 million loan from the Marianas Public Land Trust and already includes interest; the remaining $315,000 is to supplement “any shortfall in revenue” for locally funded personnel, operations, professional services, and public programs under the Tinian Mayor’s Office, the Tinian Municipal Treasurer, and the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission.
Rota Local Laws 20-03 and RLL 20-04. RLL 20-03 appropriated $30,749 to the senatorial district; $1,000 is appropriated to the Rota Municipal Council while the remainder was funneled toward the Rota Casino Gaming Commission.
RLL 20-04 appropriates $88,469.75 to the construction of walkways in Songsong and Sinapalo.
MD: Torres signs five bills into law
It is good that the Tinian Legislative Delegation was able to appropriate sufficient funds to maintain the Tinian Gaming Control Commission, as there are still several investors who have put down the money to acquire a conditional gaming licence and acquire the lands necessary for development.
However, it will be meaningless unless there is some hope of bringing directly flights from China to Tinian.
Thus far, the Commonwealth Ports Authority has not funded the infrastructure necessary to turn the existing Tinian commuter airport into an international airport.
The U.S. Air Force has tried to work with the CPA to build a Divert Facility on old West Field, Tinian.
For whatever reason, CPA has declined to even talk to Air Force about the $375 Million construction project that would help Tinian recover from the economic decline it has experienced in the last few years.
Moreover, the Air Force has offered to begin discussions with CPA at $20 Million, far more than enough to provide for the electronic landing system and refueling system necessary to turn the Tinian commuter terminal into an international airport.
The Air Force Divert Facility has been incorporated into this year’s federal military construction budget. If CPA declines to act, it will undoubtedly be deleted from the MilCon budget discussion, and Tinian will not become the revenue generator for the CNMI that it once was.
The real question is, “Has the CNMI Legislature relegated Commonwealth economic development policy to the appointed CPA board of Directors?”
Don Farrell
Marpo Heights, Tinian