The committee is trying to draft a fiscal year 2011 budget bill acceptable to the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Citing the Open Government Act, Sen. Juan M. Ayuyu, Ind-Rota said the committee should be open to the other members of the Legislature and the community.
The committee continued its meeting yesterday afternoon. A new balanced budget bill must be passed by Oct. 1 or the government will shutdown.
Ayuyu said he respects the committee’s rule that doesn’t allow other lawmakers to sit in but he thinks the meetings should be open to everyone.
Ayuyu, Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind-Rota, Sen. Francisco Q. Cruz, R-Tinian, House Minority Leader Diego T. Benavente, R-Saipan, and Rep. Ray N. Yumul, R-Saipan, were in Manglona’s conference room while the conference committee members discussed the budget bill in the Senate chamber yesterday afternoon.
They were curious to know what’s going on in the Senate chamber, but according to Ayuyu: “If they don’t want to let us in, we cannot do anything about it. That’s their call and we have to respect that.”
Yumul said if the members of the conference committee wanted a portion of their meeting kept from public, probably due to “sensitive” matters, they should have made a motion to go into an executive, or closed door, session.
Variety learned that a lawsuit may be filed against the conference committee for holding closed door meetings.
The members of the committee are Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian, Sen. Jovita M. Taimanao, Ind.-Rota, Sen. Ralph DLG. Torres, R-Saipan, Vice Speaker Felicidad T. Ogumoro, Covenant-Saipan, Rep. Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan, and Rep. Eliceo D. Cabrera, R-Saipan.
