The House and Senate galleries were packed with members of the community, including government officials and the manamko’.
Lawmakers must pass a budget today, the last day of fiscal year 2010. Otherwise, the government, with the exception of “essential” services, will shut down.
During the House session, Rep. Francisco S. Dela Cruz, R-Saipan, proposed a reduction in the work-hour cut from 16 to 10 with eight unpaid holidays.
But this was rejected by an 11-8 vote.
Rep. Trenton B. Conner, R-Tinian, was absent due to an illness.
The House version of the budget took away the additional amount that was added to Rota and Tinian by the Senate.
From $7.1 million, Rota and Tinian’s allocations went back to $6.2 million and $5.7 million as originally proposed by the administration.
The discretionary fund for each lawmaker was decreased from $86,000 to $80,000.
“What can you say Representative Benavente?” a smiling Speaker Froilan C. Tenorio said, referring to House Minority Leader Diego T. Benavente, who replied that the speaker’s sarcastic remark was “improper.”
Benavente, R-Saipan, at the same time reiterated the minority bloc’s opposition to a 16-hour cut.
The House leadership, citing figures from the administration, said anything less than a 16-hour cut will require additional funding that the government doesn’t have.
Rep. Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero, R-Saipan, offered an amendment to reduce the House leadership allocation to $300,000 and the Senate’s allocation to $200,000 and appropriate the $200,000 difference to Northern Marianas College and the judiciary.
But this, too, was rejected by the House leadership.
The budget bill, H.B. 17-119, was passed by a vote of 12-7.
Benavente, Dela Cruz, Deleon Guerrero, Antonio P. Sablan, R-Saipan, Ray N. Yumul, R-Saipan, Ramon A. Tebuteb, R-Saipan, and Teresita A. Santos, Ind.-Rota, voted against it.
Voting yes were the speaker, Vice Speaker Felicidad T. Ogumoro, Covenant-Saipan, Ramon S. Basa, Covenant-Saipan, Eliceo D. Cabrera, R-Saipan, House Floor Leader George N. Camacho, Ind.-Saipan, Fredrick P. Deleon Guerrero, Ind.-Saipan, Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, Ralph S. Demapan, Covenant-Saipan, Raymond D. Palacios, Covenant-Saipan, Edmund S. Villagomez, Covenant-Saipan, Sylvestre I. Iguel, Covenant-Saipan, and Joseph M. Palacios, R-Saipan.
The senators asked their legal counsel Matthew Meyer if reducing the work-hour cut would “unbalance” the budget.
Myer said no, citing the flexibility clause in the bill.
Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, noted that only if the Senate’s efforts, which he said started in the first few days of the 17th Legislature, were considered, they and the public would not be “here staying up after midnight, cramming to pass the budget.”
The governor submitted his budget proposal to the Legislature in April.
After a discussion with some members of the House minority, Manglona amended H.B. 17-119 to reduce the work-hour cut from 16 to eight and the unpaid holidays from 13 to 10.
He said this was another move closer to the House’s position and hoped that the representatives would accept his amendment.
Sen. Jovita M. Taimanao, Ind.-Rota, said she knew “everyone’s tired already, but our intention is not to take away jobs. We just want to make sure the cut in working hours will not be done drastically.”
Sen. Juan M. Ayuyu, Ind.-Rota, for his part, questioned the House leadership’s decision to increase its leadership account while imposing a “drastic” work-hour cut on employees.
“Is that good leadership?” he asked.
Sen. Francisco Q. Cruz, R-Tinian, criticized the House leadership for trying to put the blame on the Senate.
He said it was the Senate that offered a compromise but the House refused to budge.
No work on Friday
Gov. Benigno R.Fitial met with cabinet members and other agency heads at 5 p.m. yesterday.
He told them to instruct their employees not to report for work tomorrow if the budget is not passed today.
The governor is expected to declare a state of emergency if there will be a government shutdown.
Press conference
Senate President Manglona wanted a joint session yesterday afternoonto break the budget deadlock, but the House leadership instead called for a press conference.
The nine senators ended meeting with the seven members of the House minority bloc in the Senate chamber.
They wanted to meet in the House chamber but it was locked.
Speaker Tenorio, during the press conference, announced that they would pass a new budget bill, H.B. 17-119, which Ogumoro said they had to introduce after the “collapse” of the bicameral conference committee.
