According to House Joint Resolution 16-4 that the House of Representatives adopted last week, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial’s six-member military task force did not present any new information about the issue.
The resolution will be taken up by the Senate when it holds a session today on Tinian.
On Feb. 22, 2007, the governor appointed Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez, businessman Robert Jones, DFS president Marian Aldan-Pierce, Douglas Brennan, Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands Chairwoman Lynn Knight and then-Rep. Absalon Waki Jr. as members of the military task force.
Rep. Ray Yumul, R-Saipan and author of the resolution, said nothing was accomplished since then.
“The military task force was established to ensure that the CNMI meets the needs of the U.S. military in the region, to ensure that the U.S. military will co-exist harmoniously with the civilian population, and to ensure that the expansion of the U.S. military brings economic benefits to the CNMI,” his resolution reads.
“As the military task force has been stagnant, the Legislature must address those concerns to help prepare the CNMI for the military build-up in our region,” it added.
Yumul, an Army Reservist, said a joint focus group with members from both houses of the Legislature should be formed to hold direct talks with the military.
More than 12,000 U.S. Marines will be relocated from Okinawa, Japan to Guam from 2010.
The U.S. and Japan will end up spending up to $15 billion when the relocation project, described as the largest since the Vietnam War, is completed by 2014.
The 14 island-chain of the Northern Marianas is envisioned to host various military exercises for the troops and allied forces of the United States.
