Arnold I. Palacios
GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios has signed into law a House local bill appropriating gambling revenues for Saipan projects and programs.
However, on the advice of the Office of the Attorney General, the governor line-item vetoed the proposed funding for the Pacific Behavior Center, the Marianas Business Network, Saipan Humane Society, and Northern Marianas Protection & Advocacy Systems Inc.
Authored by Saipan and Northern Islands Delegation Floor Leader Joel C. Camacho, House Local Bill 24-3 is now Saipan Local Law 24-2. It appropriates $500,000 in annual amusement machine fee collections for various programs and services on Saipan.
In his transmittal letter to SNILD Chair John Paul Sablan, the governor said he disapproved the proposal to appropriate $150,000 for the upgrade and rehabilitation of the Pacific Behavior Center because “it does not articulate what arrangements have been made” with the center, and “there is no assurance that the benefit of the appropriation would not simply inure to an individual or a private organization and is for public purpose.”
Palacios said H.L.B. 24-3 does not contain any substantive findings or purpose statements defining the intent of the bill to ensure that the funds are used for a public purpose.
Likewise, the governor line-item vetoed the $5,000 allotted for the Marianas Business Network, saying that it contains no indication of the purpose for which the funds would be expended.
He also disapproved the proposed allocation of $40,000 for the Saipan Human Society and $35,000 for NMPASI because “these proposed appropriations contain no indication of the purpose for which the funds would be spent.”
“Because of this pattern of insufficient explanation of the public purpose for funding these private entities, the Attorney General recommended that I not sign this bill,” Palacios said. “Though I have approved the legislation in part, I share his concern with the constitutional public purpose requirement,” the governor added.
He encouraged the delegation to review the AG’s legal opinion and consider reintroducing the bill with a clearer explanation of the public purpose for the proposed appropriations.
The other proposed appropriations in H.L.B 24-3 that were approved by the governor are the following:
1) $30,940 for the construction of Garapan Fishing Base
2) $50,000 for CNMI Scholarship
3) $30,000 for 500 Sails
4) $5,000 for Mount Carmel School Moot Court
5) $10,000 for Saipan Southern High School’s Famagu’on Marianas Cultural Club
6) $25,000 for the Saipan Agricultural Fair Association
7) $45,000 for the Carolinian Advisory Council
8) $45,000 for the Indigenous Affairs Office
9) $14,000 for Irensian Y Saina Yan Y Tano Inc.
10) $15,000 for Joeten-Kiyu Public Library
