‘It is not mandatory. It is going to be a separate sheet that will be given after a voter casts his or her ballot,” he said.
Voters will be asked whether they support the U.S. Department of the Interior’s recommendation to improve the immigration status of CNMI guest workers who have been legally here for at least five years.
The House leadership is now drafting a bill for the “survey,” and it will be introduced during today’s session.
House Floor Leader George N. Camacho, Ind.-Saipan, said they want to know the CNMI people’s “sentiment” regarding the issue.
Speaker Froilan C. Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, said the Fitial administration wants to hear from the voters.
He noted, however, that the Commonwealth Election Commission is not authorized to just include such a question on the November ballot.
Hence, the question will be in a separate paper and will serve as a “survey” that the governor will use as reference when he goes to Washington, D.C. again and testify on the status of guest workers in the CNMI.
Tenorio, however, doesn’t believe the U.S. Congress will act on Interior’s recommendation.
“They have enough immigration problems in Arizona and I feel confident that the Republicans will control the U.S. House next year and will protect us from what Interior is trying to do to us,” said Tenorio, a former governor and Washington representative.
