SENATOR Paul A. Manglona pre-filed on Thursday Senate Bill 22-72 which proposes to suspend the salaries of Commonwealth Casino Commission members.
Its rationale is similar to Senate Local Bill 22-6, which Manglona also authored and is now on the desk of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres after it was unanimously passed by the Rota Legislative Delegation on Rota two weeks ago.
Because there is no casino activity on Saipan right now, the Senate bill states, “The compensation of the members of the Commission becomes an immense financial burden to the commission and the Commonwealth government.”
Each commissioner receives $65,000 a year, for a total of $325,000 for the five commissioners: Chairman Edward C. Deleon Guerrero, Vice Chairman Ralph S. Demapan, Mario Taitano and Ramon S. Dela Cruz.
Diego Songao, who represented Rota on the commission, resigned last year.
S.B. 22-72 proposes the following new rules:
1) When there is an “active casino” in operation, the members of the commission shall each be compensated at the rate of $65,000 per year.
2) When there is no “active casino” in operation, compensation shall be suspended and the members of the commission shall each be compensated in accordance of 1 CMC Section 8247 which states: “The rate of compensation for meetings attended for members of all government corporations, councils, commissions, agencies, including but not limited to autonomous agencies, boards, and elected municipal councils, subject to the availability of funds and authorization of the Legislature, shall be no more than $60 for a full-day meeting and no more than $30 for a half day or less meeting; provided that the compensation shall not exceed a maximum of $6,000 per year; provided further that compensation for meetings shall be limited to those meetings open and public and for which notice has been published.”
3) The term “active casino” shall mean “casino activities” in which casino customers at the casino facility are physically placing bets on casino tables, casino machines, or any other casino betting apparatus.
4) The members of the commission shall be reimbursed for their actual, necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
5) All travels will be subject to 1 CMC Section 7407 which sets rules on per diem allowances and imposes airfare restrictions on government-paid travel outside the Commonwealth.
Imperial Pacific International’s casino was shut down in March 2020 amid the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Still needed
In an interview on Thursday, Commonwealth Casino Commission Executive Director Andrew Yeom said the commissioners are still obligated to conduct hearings and decide on five enforcement actions against IPI. They are 2021-001: Nonpayment of Annual License Fee (fee for 2020); 2021-002: Non-compliant with required working capital for three months’ payroll; 2021-003: Nonpayment of regulatory fee (for 2020); 2021-004: Nonpayment of license fee due Aug. 12, 2021 and 2021-005: Failure to pay the regulatory fee for 2021 due on Oct. 1, 2021.
Yeom said the commission also has the responsibility to monitor the ongoing cases against IPI both in local and the federal courts because the outcomes of those lawsuits will determine the next course of action the Commission may take regarding the gaming industry on Saipan.
He noted that the commission continues to conduct monthly meetings, every last Thursday of the month, to hear from IPI officials.
