Basa said they were supposed to meet Wednesday last week to discuss the casino bill but they had to work on other important pieces of legislation so they moved the meeting this week.
The committee, he added, is preparing a report on a substitute bill that may be passed by the House any time this week.
According to the bill’s author, Rep. Stanley T. Torres, “I guess [the committee] is seriously looking into it and hopefully they will act on it in another week or two, maybe.”
Torres, Ind.-Saipan, said he also hopes that the Senate will pass the bill this time.
Dominated by Rota and Tinian members, the Senate last September rejected the Saipan casino bill passed by the House.
Rota and Tinian have casinos but they are not doing well.
Torres said the substitute bill now with Ways and Means will provide more casino revenue to the Retirement Fund, scholarships, medical referrals and subsidized travels to Guam.
Once the committee endorses the bill’s passage, Torres said he will work harder to convince the Senate to seriously take a look at it.
Vice Speaker Felicidad T. Ogumoro, Covenant-Saipan, said the House considers the casino bill as one of the top revenue-generating measures.
Ogumoro said House members will continue working with the Senate on the casino issue.
“We are serious in our effort to make sure that we get out of this economic difficulty. And we have to work with the Senate on the bill, by all means,” she said.
Rep. Froilan C. Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan and the author of the first casino bill, said he is not involved in Torres’ bill.
“Right now, I am neutral on whether a casino should be legalized here or not,” he added..
$300M investment
Senate Floor Leader Pete S. Reyes disclosed that investors from South Korea, China and Japan have expressed interest in a Saipan casino.
The level of investment varies but those from South Korea told lawmakers they are willing to invest $300 million on a Saipan casino, Reyes said.
“Investors are coming to our office inquiring about the status of the casino bill. We told them we have not seen any casino bill. We understand there is a casino bill introduced in the House but we have not seen it,” said Reyes, R-Saipan.
He said they explained to investors that the Senate cannot comment on legislation it hasn’t seen yet.
These investors, Reyes added, told them that a Saipan casino would be a big economic boost for the CNMI.
Reyes said he had to tell the investors about the situation of the casinos on Tinian and Rota.
“We need to give them a chance,” he said, referring to the Tinian Dynasty and the Rota Treasure Island Casino.
Acting Gov. Eloy S. Inos in an interview on Saturday said he also heard about the casino investors now talking to various people on island.
But so far, he said there has not been any specific casino project being brought up to the administration.
Asked about the administration’s stand on the issue, Inos said: “We are just following the flow essentially.”
He believes that in order for the Saipan casino proponents to be successful, they have to “overcome legislative requirements.”
He said he knows that the Legislature is now considering Torres’ casino bill.
According to Inos, there should be “something on the table so we can deliberate on it, debate on it and once again revisit the pros and cons.”
In the end, Inos said, they have to balance social concerns with the economic benefits of a casino on Saipan.
The island’s voters rejected a casino initiative four years ago.
Kiyoshi Murota, a Japanese professional golfer on island for winter training, told Variety that if a casino is legalized here, things are going to be a lot better.
He guaranteed that tourist arrival from Japan will grow.
“Casino here will have very strong impact on Japanese tourists,” Murota said.
