REPRESENTATIVE Joseph Leepan T. Guerrero said the Public School System may seek 25% of the $515 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding allotted for the CNMI if House Bill 22-33 becomes law.
The bill, which is backed by the Democrat-led House leadership, would authorize the CNMI Legislature to appropriate and have oversight of the federal monies.
“What’s the guarantee that PSS is not going to take this to court, asking for their 25%?” Guerrero asked.
He noted that PSS already has over $160 million in federal monies.
Vice Speaker Blas Jonathan Attao, for his part, wanted to know if the legislative appropriation will make the $515 million general revenue or special revenue.
If the monies are considered general revenue because of legislative appropriation, Attao said Guerrero has a point because the CNMI Constitution mandates an annual PSS budget of not less than 25% percent of the general revenues of the Commonwealth.
Attao said the intent of H.B. 22-33 is good, but he still wants to hear from the legal counsel.
House legal counsel Joe Taijeron said the $515 million may be considered special revenue, which means PSS will not be entitled to 25% of it.
Rep. Edwin Propst, a member of the House leadership, said the minority bloc members previously chanted “students first, students first,” so he “wonders” why they are “worried” that PSS may ask for more funding.
Rep. Angel Demapan, a member of the minority bloc, noted that the Legislature’s appropriation authority is limited to one fiscal year only.
“We all want to spend this money and we want to ensure this money goes back to our community, but [in acting on H.B. 22-33] are we restricting ourselves to one fiscal year limitation in appropriating the funds?” he asked.
All nine Republicans, including House Floor Leader Ralph Yumul, a member of the leadership, and their independent ally, Joe Flores, voted against House Bill 22-33 while all the eight Democrats and their two independent allies voted in favor of the measure.
Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez, invoking the House interim rules, broke the 10-10 tie by voting again for the bill’s passage.
No public hearing was conducted on the bill, which was also never referred to a committee for review.
H.B. 22-33 now goes to the nine-member Senate whose leadership consists of five Republicans and their two independent allies.
The House minority bloc members confer during a break from last week’s House session.
Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano
