Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider (R-Tinian) said Friday that a House bill that sought to give the Legislature appropriation powers over the CNMI\u2019s share of American Rescue Plan Act money was never put on calendar for action during their session last Tuesday. <\/p>\n
Hofschneider said Sen. Paul A. Manglona (Ind-Rota) had requested to put House Bill 22-33 on calendar for action, but it didn\u2019t move past discussion.<\/p>\n
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. \u201cIf they didn\u2019t agree I was ready to have the members vote on it, regardless of the result. They will have to answer to their constituents,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Manglona said it\u2019s just that he didn\u2019t agree with the legal opinions on the House\u2019s \u201ctie-breaker rule.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI argued that the House rules was legal,\u201d he pointed out.<\/p>\n
During Tuesday\u2019s 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\u2019s \u201ctie-breaker rule.\u201d Senators then all agreed that the bill shall remain before the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee chaired by Sen. Victor B. Hocog (R-Rota).<\/p>\n
Last March 9, House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) voted twice\u2014as authorized under House\u2019s tie-breaker rule\u2014to break a 10-10 tie to pass House Bill 22-22, authored by Rep. Donald M. Manglona (Ind-Rota).<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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