THE House of Representatives, by a vote of 12 to 4, failed to override the line-item vetoes of some of the funding proposals in Saipan Local Law 24-2, which Gov. Arnold I. Palacios signed last month.
Those who voted for the override were Reps. Roy Ada, Vincent Aldan, Danny Aquino, Blas Jonathan Attao, Angelo Camacho, John Paul Sablan, Julie Marie Ogo, Elias Rangamar, Ralph N. Yumul, Joel Camacho, Patrick San Nicolas and Roman Benavente.
Those who voted no were Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez, Vice Speaker Diego Vincent Camacho, House Floor Leader Marissa Flores and Rep. Denita Yangetmai.
The speaker noted that the vote fell short of the two-thirds majority required, “so the motion [to override] does not carry.”
Fourteen votes were needed to override the line-item vetoes.
The governor, in his transmittal to the Legislature, said he disapproved of the $40,000 funding proposal for the Saipan Humane Society, the $5,000 for Marianas Business Network and the $35,000 for the Northern Marianas Protection & Advocacy Systems, Inc., because the proposed appropriation did not specify the intended use of the funds, as noted by the attorney general.
The Saipan Humane Society earlier urged lawmakers to override the line-item veto of the $40,000 for SHS.
In her letter to the Legislature’s presiding officers, SHS Executive Director Guadalupe T. Attao said, “We are hopeful that the Legislature will consider overriding this veto in recognition of the wide-reaching public benefits our services bring to the people of the CNMI.”
She thanked lawmakers for their continued support of SHS’s mission, which is to provide accessible, compassionate and community-centered veterinary care throughout the CNMI.
She said the proposed funding “directly supports services that benefit the average taxpayers and the broader community.”
For the many community members who consider pets part of their family, SHS provides a supportive and caring service that respects and honors that bond, she added.
She said that “these are not just animal welfare initiatives — they are community benefits that create a safer, healthier and more beautiful community.”
