By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THE Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council says it will continue to seek legislative powers over local matters.
The council backs two Senate legislative initiatives that will grant it lawmaking authority.
S.L.I. 15-6 and 15-7 were introduced early last year by Sen. Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian.
A legislative initiative is a proposal to amend the CNMI Constitution.
It has to be approved by at least three-fourths of the members of each house of the Legislature present and voting before it can be placed on the ballot.
A legislative initiative is ratified if it is approved by a majority of the votes cast in a general election.
Section 1 of S.L.I. 1506 states that “since becoming a commonwealth, the population of the NMI has continued to grow, thereby raising numerous and complex issues of local concern affecting the daily lives of our people. As such, the Legislature believes that such issues of local concern are better left for the local municipal governments to deal with, in the form of local municipal ordinances and decentralized delivery of public services. It is in the best interests of the people to be sure that each municipality of the CNMI, namely the office of the mayors and the municipal councils, play a more active role in local matters and issues strictly of local concern within their respective jurisdictions. Such an active role will (result in a) stronger and more efficient from of local municipal government.”
According to the legislative initiative, “laws that relate exclusively to local matters in one senatorial district may be enacted by the respective municipal council of that district, the legislature, or by affirmative vote of a majority of the members representing that district.”
The Legislature “shall define the local matters that may be the subject of laws enacted by the members of municipal council from the respective senatorial districts,”
Former Rep. William S. Torres, who serves as the council’s consultant, said the council has already been waiting too long for the passage of the legislative initiatives.
He said instead of giving the three-member council authority to deal with local matters, the Constitutional Convention in 1976 empowered the legislative delegation and the Legislature to enact laws even on local matters.
Article IV and VI of the Constitution provides that the council “shall have powers in matters of a predominantly local nature not pre-empted by the Commonwealth Legislature,” Torres said the council has not exercised legislative power since it was inaugurated in 1990.
He said since 1994, the council has been pushing for the passage of a legislative initiative empowering the CNMI’s municipal councils.
On Jan. 11, the Saipan council passed a municipal bill that establishes a neighborhood watch taskforce.