“AM I optimistic?… If the House stops their politicking and starts prioritizing retirees, then the answer would be ‘yes,’ ” Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said on Friday.
He said the House leadership “can say that they support the retirees but it has been three months since this bonus has been offered to retirees. Imagine that… Before Christmas, their governor offered them a bonus so that they could enjoy the holidays. The House leadership took that as part of a political agenda and continues to play with the retirees’ bonuses. So, am I optimistic? I do know that the Senate leadership has been open and has been supporting the cause of the bonus. Until I see the House actually prioritizing the retirees, I have to say ‘no,’ [I am not optimistic] on the part of the House coming to the table to really address the retirees’ bonuses.”
On Dec. 15, 2021, the Senate adopted Senate Joint Resolution 22-5 to approve the governor’s request to reprogram $1.3 million from the general fund for the payment of a $500 holiday bonus for each retiree.
But the House did not act on the joint resolution. On Jan. 12, 2022, the House passed H.B. 22-91 to allocate $1.3 million for the retirees’ bonuses by reappropriating the funds that the governor line-item vetoed when he signed the fiscal year 2022 budget law.
The Senate then unanimously adopted a new joint resolution, S.J.R. 22-9, to approve the governor’s request to create a new business unit for the retirees’ bonuses which were also increased to $1,000 from $500.
On Tuesday, the House passed House Bill 22-95 to create a new business unit for the retirees’ bonuses by reappropriating the FY 2022 allocations for Micronesian Legal Services, the governor’s discretionary account, the governor’s office, the finance department and the Marianas Visitors Authority. These were among the line items vetoed by the governor when he signed into law the FY 2022 budget bill.
Ralph DLG Torres
