The address was usually given by the governor in late spring, but this year the administration said it was up to the Legislature to schedule the joint session.
Last August, the Senae adopted a joint resolution proposing Sept. 14 as the date for the governor’s address. The resolution also urged Sablan to deliver a report to the people.
The governor’s annual address is one of the year’s major media events.
Sablan was then seeking re-election and one of his opponents was the governor’s candidate, former Rep. Joseph N. Camacho.
Speaker Froilan C. Tenorio, the governor’s ally, said in an interview yesterday that the House did not approve the Senate resolution because he did not see the need for the congressional delegate to speak during the joint session.
“He is a federal official. Why should he report to the commonwealth?” Tenorio said.
Besides, he added, the governor’s address should have been delivered before the administration submitted its budget proposal to the Legislature in April.
“So it’s too late to be holding a joint session this time,” Tenorio said, adding that he expects the governor to address the commonwealth in April next year.
In a separate interview, Press Secretary Angel A. Demapan said that governor’s address did not happen because the House did not act on the Senate resolution.
He said both houses should have adopted a resolution for the joint-session and if that happened, “the governor of course would have been happy to report to the people of the commonwealth although he is not actually required to deliver an address.”
Demapan added, “Not holding a joint session for the address is not a violation of anything. But at that point when the Senate adopted the resolution, we were ready to respond.”
