GOVERNOR Ralph DLG Torres, “in the spirit of cooperation,” on Wednesday requested Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez and Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider to hold a joint session so he can deliver his State of the Commonwealth Address at 10 a.m. on Oct. 31, 2022 at Kensington Hotel.
Villagomez said the House leadership will discuss today, Thursday, Oct. 20, the governor’s request for a joint session.
The SOCA was originally set for Friday, Oct. 21, at Kensington.
In his letter Tuesday to the Legislature’s presiding officers, the Republican governor reiterated that he wants to share “the story of the resilience of our islands and its people during the 2022 State of the Commonwealth Address.”
He said the SOCA will “provide the public an opportunity to hear from its government the challenges we have faced and the progress we have made as a community. I consider this opportunity, following years of disasters that have impeded prior addresses from occurring, a critical element of ensuring the public is aware of the actions and decisions of its government.”
“As we all know,” he added, “the SOCA is traditionally delivered before the legislative branch when the Legislature formally requests for one through a joint resolution, for which a joint resolution is also traditionally initiated by the House of Representatives. In the last three years, the Legislature has not introduced a joint resolution nor has it formally requested my office to present the SOCA before the joint chambers.”
Similar to actions by a previous administration, he added, financial reporting to the Legislature on a quarterly and annual basis has been submitted in the last three years without the convening of the two legislative bodies.
“I am pleased that there is interest in providing for a joint session to host this year’s address since initial invitations have been provided as this gives us the opportunity to come together for this event,” the governor said.
“Once again, I look forward to sharing the successes of our community and the Commonwealth we are working to build where each and every member of our community plays a vital role in making the Marianas one of the best places to live and visit,” he added.
Asked for comment, Rep. Tina Sablan, the Democratic candidate for governor and a member of the House leadership, said, “To avoid the appearance of impropriety, it would be best to hold a joint session after the election to receive the governor’s State of the Commonwealth Address.”
She added, “And in the interest and spirit of fiscal responsibility, we should hold the session at the Legislature or another public, accessible, and cost-effective venue such as the multi-purpose center, as we have done for every SOCA since time immemorial.”
Democratic Sen. Edith Deleon Guerrero, for her part, said, “The governor needs to get off his high horse, realize that he is not God, not greater than the CNMI Constitution, and does not own the CNMI and its people.”
She reiterated that the people can assemble at the SOCA venue invited or not, “to air their concerns.”
“It is their Constitutional right. This is a free country. We are a democratic form of government, not a dictatorship,” Deleon Guerrero said.
Ralph DLG Torres
