WITH an understanding to support a new measure creating a gaming division within the Department of Finance, the House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations on Thursday unanimously voted to file or shelve House Bill 24-37, which proposes to disband the Commonwealth Casino Commission.
Authored by House Floor Leader Marissa Flores, H.B. 24-37 would transfer the CCC’s regulatory functions to the Commonwealth Lottery Commission. It was the legislative counterpart of then-Gov. Arnold I. Palacios’ Executive Order 2025-002, which took effect earlier this month after the House of Representatives failed to act on the Senate’s rejection of the order.
The executive order was described by House legal counsel Joseph Hallahan as unconstitutional and void, as it “constitutes an impermissible structural transformation that invades legislative authority.” Senate legal counsel Antonette Villagomez, for her part, said the governor cannot legislate by executive order.
Before the roll call vote to file H.B. 24-37, committee chair Rep. Joel Camacho reiterated that the House’s inaction on the Senate’s rejection of the EO was not meant to circumvent the process.
House Floor Leader Flores recommended “suspending” H.B. 24-37 and introducing a new bill written in “simplified language” to establish a gaming division within the Department of Finance.
“Would that be best to handle this since the EO is already in existence?” she asked.
Camacho responded that instead of tabling the bill, “we just vote to file it.”
Rep. John Paul Sablan then made the motion to file H.B. 24-37, and all members present voted in favor.
Also present at the committee meeting were Reps. Angelo Camacho, Vincent “Kobre” Aldan, Danny Aquino, and Joseph Flores.