Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, authored House Bill 17-182 in response to the public bickering a few months ago between then-Marianas High School principal Craig Garrison and teacher James Yangetmai.
The measure said BOE should carry out all terminations and non-renewals “only with cause and through an adopted grievance proceeding.”
BOE, whose voting members are elected by the people, has authority over the Public School System.
H.B. 17-182 was opposed by the House minority bloc but it was passed by a vote of 9 to 6. It now goes to the Senate.
Those who voted yes aside from Torres were Speaker Eli D. Cabrera, R-Saipan; Vice Speaker Felicidad T. Ogumoro, Covenant-Saipan; House Floor Leader George N. Camacho, Ind.-Saipan; Reps. Sylvestre I. Iguel, Covenant-Saipan; Fredrick P. Deleon Guerrero, Ind.-Saipan; Joseph M. Palacios, R-Saipan; Janet U. Maratita, R-Saipan; and Teresita A. Santos, Ind.-Rota.
Those who voted no were House Minority Leader Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero, R-Saipan; Reps. Francisco S. Dela Cruz, R-Saipan; Tony P. Sablan; R-Saipan; Ray A. Tebuteb, R-Saipan; Trenton B. Conner, R-Tinian; and Edmund S. Villagomez, Covenant-Saipan.
Reps. Froilan C. Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan; Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan, and Raymond D. Palacios, Covenant-Saipan were absent while Reps. Ray N. Yumul, R-Saipan, and Ralph S. Demapan, Covenant-Saipan, left the chamber before the vote.
House Minority Leader Deleon Guerrero and Sablan strongly opposed the bill saying, “we are interfering with [PSS-BOE] personnel policy.”
Deleon Guerrero noted that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for PSS is going to stop in 2012 which will create financial problems for the school system.
The bill, he said, will tie the hands of PSS in personnel matters.
“I think we are going beyond our authority. Let’s think of the consequences of our actions because these may cause some problems,” Deleon Guerrero said.
“Let them handle their own personnel and let us not try to micro-manage what is not ours to manage,” he added.
Ogumoro said she shares Deleon Guerrero’s concerns, “but I would like to acknowledge the incident at MHS. What we are doing here is for the protection of employees.”
She said “we are not telling PSS what to do. But there should be nothing that prevents us from passing a bill we see fit to make a system strong.”
Other bills
The House unanimously passed three other bills and adapted three resolutions yesterday:
H.B. 17-224 which renames the junior and senior high school on Rota to Dr. Rita Hocog Inos Junior/High School; H.B. 17-77 which amends the Retirement Fund law that gives annuitants the option to continue their government life insurance “under the same group terms and conditions provided that the coverage shall not be reduced by more than 30 percent”; and Senate Bill 17-23 which extends from 14 to 21 days the due date for Commonwealth Utilities Corp. billings.
The two House bills head to the Senate, while the Senate bill now goes to the governor.
The resolutions adapted were Santos’ H.R. 17-83 which urges Gov. Benigno R. Fitial to exempt customs inspectors from the austerity measure; H.R. 17-81, which honors David Ayuyu Atalig for his contributions to Rota; and Ogumoro’s H.R. 17-82 which congratulates the students of Mt. Carmel School students for winning the mock trial competition on Guam last month.
