The Senate passed House Concurrent Resolution 21-1, Senate Draft 1 yesterday with amendments that slightly increased the total budgetary resources for appropriation to benefit the Commonwealth\u2019s educational sector. The total local revenue and resources available for appropriation went up by over $1.7 million, from $147.1 million to $148.8 million.<\/p>\n
The Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Jude U. Hofschneider (R-Saipan), learned of the increase after meeting with Finance Secretary David Atalig and Office of Management and Budget special assistant Virginia Villagomez.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on the governor\u2019s request on the resources to move around, we identified a couple of earmarks that were intended to be suspended to be used for general appropriation,\u201d Hofschneider said after yesterday\u2019s session on Capital Hill. \u201cThat explains why there is an increase of approximately $1.7 million in the budget available for appropriation.\u201d<\/p>\n
House Ways and Means Committee chair Rep. Ivan A. Blanco (R-Saipan) said the amendments would somehow ease the financial burden for the Public School System. \u201cThe amendments incorporated by members of the Senate and passed is a restatement of the administration\u2019s budget proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe identified balance will go to our educational systems such as PSS and [the Northern Marianas College]. It\u2019s not much, but the proposal, in my initial discussions with House members, has the support of both the House majority leadership and the minority,\u201d Blanco said.<\/p>\n
P.L. 20-59 is an act that reserved the license revenues, where the funds are derived from the annual fees from the amusement machines within the Commonwealth.<\/p>\n
Hofschneider said the amendment heeds the recommendations of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres. \u201cSome of the provisions, projected funds, and earmarks are embedded into the budget package. As a result of that exercise, the total revenue for appropriation increased from $147,135,215 to $148,891,002,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Stricken out were the Cigarette Excise Tax to Tobacco Control or P.L. 13-38 amounting to $3.5 million and the 3-percent Excise Tax transfer to Cancer Fund P.L. 13-42 as amended by P.L. 18-64, which amounts to $1.4 million.<\/p>\n
Hofschneider said there was no intention of suspending 4 CMC \u00a7 1508 of P.L. 20-59 based on their meetings with Atalig and Villagomez. \u201cSo, therefore, it was included in the message. We have to take heed that it is not meant to be. Therefore, we have to memorialize it and look at the projected revenue that is expected for fiscal year 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is what we understood during meetings with the administration and Finance. That it was not intended. That is why we have to reinstate it into the earmarks. However, the other two earmarks, it was intended to be suspended. We therefore need to remove from the earmarks and embedded it down to the total of appropriation.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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