House Bill 16-213 now heads to the Senate.
House Minority Leader Oscar M. Babauta, Covenant-Saipan, cast the lone dissenting vote — an indication that the Fitial administration will veto the measure.
He said his colleagues were trying to “micro-manage” the government through the budget measure.
Two lawmakers were absent during yesterday’s session — Reps. Edwin P. Aldan, Covenant-Tinian, and Stanley T. Torres, R-Saipan.
Introduced by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ray N. Yumul, the bill excluded the administration’s proposed austerity holidays and “unlimited” reprogramming authority for the governor.
Yumul, R-Saipan, said the bill was based on the governor’s revised revenue projection of $148.084 million in this fiscal year.
The lengthy discussions focused on the provisions exempting Northern Marianas College from the hiring freeze so it can fill positions vital to its accreditation, and authorizing the Attorney General’s Office to allow immigration employees affected by the federalization law to withdraw their Retirement Fund contributions.
The bill also requires the Senate president and the House speaker to approve any hiring certification from the executive branch.
“We approved that because in a very austere budget we cannot allow continued hiring,” Yumul said. “We need to hold down the expenses and keep the employment as minimal as possible so everybody can be allowed to continue their government service.”
Babauta, the governor’s party mate, said his colleagues “ignored” the several requests made to consider the austerity holidays and the reprogramming authority of the governor.
“In order for the budget to happen there are certain enhancements to be provided,” he said. “One of them is the implementation of austerity Fridays and the flexibility of the administration to reprogram funds during this time of limited resources.”
Babauta also believes that imposing a hiring freeze is not a good decision.
“What if a need arises primarily in the essential departments?” he said.
Rep. Tina Sablan, Ind.-Saipan, said she was relieved that the bill was passed.
“It was a very long and arduous process…I am very relieved now. There was a tremendous amount of work and negotiations,” she said.
The bill, she added, allows agencies to cut costs without resorting to austerity Fridays.
Rep. Edward T. Salas, R-Saipan, said he was elated by the bill’s passage.
“Now we have a budget that at least we can work on. Now it’s up to the governor,” he added.
