I AM not sure how this Legislature and the previous ones had managed to engage the public in the lawmaking process. Is it that difficult to see that we have a truck-load of issues facing the CNMI and our elected officials in the House of Representative could not at least champion and advocate one cause for the duration of this term? And that remains to be seen and I hope that the ones that are in relative idleness should start making progress or at least do something constructive for the time being. Otherwise, if we re-elect the ones that are not engaging in optimum representation to the people, then we can say that the voters and their chosen representative(s) deserve each other.
If we were to involve an active participation of the public in the lawmaking process, the public should be primed to provide their legislators all the elements or standards in the bill until it is passed and enacted into law. Hence, the public hearing should be a forum to hear the public. It would be helpful to have a public education campaign that aims in helping the public or any concerned citizen to participate in the law making process. The people must be able to make sure that their elected officials hear their voices. We need to teach the voting public the following:
• How the Legislature makes decisions.
• When, how and why to communicate with legislators and legislative staff.
• How to write and deliver effective testimony.
• What works in letters, phone calls, e-mails, and personal visits.
I am pretty sure that Northern Marianas College, the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, a knowledgeable legislator, or a knowledgeable concerned citizen with expertise in lawmaking process could offer to spearhead this important public education. This undertaking should be good venue in making our elected representatives introduce and produce good laws for the CNMI.

FRANCISCO R. AGULTO
Chalan Kanoa, Saipan