Public Works Secretary John Reyes favors the decision of the House of Representatives Tuesday to reject a bill dealing with the Adult Prison project, saying it contains some provisions that require changes.<\/p>\n
Reyes, in particular, noted that House Bill 14-131, which the Senate earlier revised, requires the DPW Secretary to consult first with the Tinian legislative delegation on the use of funds.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean why this hassle? It means we would consult with the delegation every time we need money from the fund. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s necessary,\u201d said Reyes. <\/p>\n
Aside from that, the Senate had also added other items to the bill, increasing the proposed appropriations from $2.5 million for the prison project to $3.9 million, to include three projects for Rota and Tinian.<\/p>\n
The bill\u2019s Senate version provides that $3.9 million in bond interest proceeds from Capital Improvement Project bond as authorized by Public Law 11-02 will be used for the adult prison project ($2.5 million), construction of hemodialysis centers for Rota and Tinian ($500,000 each), and Tinian and Rota road projects ($200,000 each).<\/p>\n
The House voted to reject the bill during its session Tuesday.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial appointed Reps. Norman Palacios, Crispin Ogo, and Justo Quitugua to hold a joint discussion with their Senate counterparts to iron out differences on the proposed measure. Fitial tasked the special committee to come up with a report on the bill by tomorrow.<\/p>\n
The prison project, a federally mandated prison facility, must be funded immediately to ensure its completion within the year. <\/p>\n
Meantime, the Senate indicated that funding for the Rota and Tinian projects are also urgent. It said that both islands have no hemodialysis treatment facilities to meet the needs of a growing number of patients on both places.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe construction of hemodialysis centers will greatly reduce the inconvenience and hardship for these patients who have to travel to Saipan for their treatment,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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