Joel Camacho
THE Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation on Friday unanimously approved two appropriation measures funded by gambling revenue.
All 20 Saipan delegation members present voted yes for the passage of House Local Bill 24-3, which now goes to the desk of Gov. Arnold I. Palacios.
Authored by Delegation Floor Leader Joel C. Camacho, the bill would appropriate $500,000 in annual amusement machine fee collections for various programs and services on Saipan, including $150,000 for the operation and upgrade of the rehabilitation facility of the Pacific Behavior Center; $50,000 for CNMI Scholarship; $45,000 for the Carolinian Advisory Council; and $40,000 for Saipan Humane Society, among others.
Program managers, and members of the public testified in support of H.L.B. 24-3. They thanked Camacho for introducing the bill, and asked the Saipan delegation to pass it.
Also authored by Camacho, H.L.B. 24-6 would appropriate $50,411 from the remaining balance of the annual exclusive casino license fee that Imperial Pacific International paid to the CNMI government in 2019. The funds will be used for the maintenance, repair, and improvement of parks and recreational facilities, as well as for equipment rental to repair secondary roads in Precinct 4.
