Torres, Ind.-Saipan, in an interview said he will ask his colleagues in the Saipan and Northern Islands Delegation to allow him to once again re-draft his House Local Bill 17-44.
He said he will remove the provisions that allot Saipan casino revenues for the people of Tinian and Rota.
Speaker Eli D. Cabrera, R-Saipan, said he has no problem with the Senate’s opposition to the casino bill but using the word “bribery” to describe its provisions is “not appropriate.”
The draft casino bill provides that the $575 million fee for an exclusive casino license will be used to restore the 80-working hours of government employees not only on Saipan but also on Tinian and Rota.
This exclusive license will be issued to an investor willing to put up a new hotel or resort along with the casino.
Portions of the revenue from the three ordinary license fees will also be shared with the residents of Tinian and Rota, through medical referrals, utilities assistance and Retirement Fund contributions.
Manglona, Ind.-Rota, called this bribery as he reiterated the Senate position enacting a gambling law through a local bill is unconstitutional.
Torres said it’s not bribery but “a basic principle of sharing the wealth.”
He said the Saipan delegation recognizes that the people of all three main islands face the same situation.
“We are one commonwealth,” he added.
“So there is no bribery in what we are doing. Whatever we reap here on Saipan we like to share it with our brothers and sisters on Tinian and Rota,” Torres said adding that many people on Saipan have families on Tinian and Rota, too.
“The [Senate] president’s calling it bribery hurts us,” he added.
Torres asked members of the House leadership to meet and discuss further changes to the bill.
The Saipan delegation is expected to put the casino bill on the session calendar today but will not act on it until the end of this week.
Speaker Cabrera said he wants to give the minority bloc enough time to “scrutinize” the gambling bill.
