THE House of Representatives on Friday unanimously adopted House Concurrent Resolution 22-1, which sets the fiscal year 2022 budget at $98.8 million while restoring some of the earmarks that Gov. Ralph DLG Torres wants to remain suspended.
The $98.8 million does not include the $44 million in debt payments, such as the $39 million for the retirees’ Settlement Fund and the over $4 million for the Department of Public Lands.
In his budget submission, the governor proposes to continue the suspension of the following earmarks: tobacco control tax, cigarette tax for solid waste, customs-immigration-quarantine revolving fund, hotel tax for the Marianas Visitors Authority, the earmarks for the Public School System technical education, Revenue and Taxation Enforcement, cigarette tax for group health and life insurance, cigarette tax for cancer fund, hotel tax for the Retirement Fund, alcohol container tax for the Retirement Fund, alcohol container tax for MVA, e-Gaming license fees for the defined benefit plan, 15% of e-Gaming license fees for Saipan, 10% of e-Gaming fees for Rota and Tinian, and the amusement machine license fees for Saipan and Tinian.
During a session on Friday, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Donald Manglona moved for the adoption of H.C.R. 22-1, which identified $144.8 million in total revenue resources, $98.8 million of which is available for government appropriations.
Vice Speaker Blas Jonathan Attao then offered a floor amendment seeking to lift the suspension of a number of earmarks “to assist each senatorial district.”
The suspended earmarks that Attao proposed to restore are the funding for PSS technical education, the 15% of e-Gaming license fee for Saipan, the 10% of e-Gaming license fee for Rota and Tinian, and the amusement machine license fees for Saipan and Tinian.
All 20 House members voted to adopt the floor amendment and the concurrent resolution.
The House also agreed that an additional $6.9 million that Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig and Manglona have identified will be reflected in a revised FY 2022 budget that will be submitted to the Legislature by the administration on July 1, 2021.
Speaker Edmund Villagomez and other House members confer with House legal counsel Joe Taijeron during a break from House session on Friday. Also in photo: House clerk Linda Muna.
Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano
