Karl King-Nabors
SENATOR Celina R. Babauta has been removed as chair of the Senate Committee on Judiciary Government & Law and replaced by Sen. Karl King-Nabors, according to a memorandum issued Tuesday by Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero.
She noted that there are 30 Senate bills and 28 House bills pending in the Senate JGL committee, which last held a meeting on Sept. 14, 2023.
She said Babauta also chairs the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments & Governmental Investigations, and “has been extremely busy with Senate confirmations of executive appointments.”
Accordingly, pursuant to her authority under the Senate Interim Rules, Deleon Guerrero said she has appointed King-Nabors, R-Tinian, as the new chair of the Senate JGL committee. She said King-Nabors will appoint new members of the committee.
The other members of the committee are now Dennis Mendiola (vice chair), R-Rota, Francisco Cruz, R-Tinian, Jude Hofschneider, R-Tinian, Corina Magofna, Ind.-Saipan, and Donald Manglona, Ind.-Rota
Babauta, D-Saipan, declined to comment.
Initially, the Senate leadership was composed of Deleon Guerrero, D-Saipan, Babauta, Magofna, Donald Manglona and Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota. They were aligned with the independent Palacios-Apatang administration.
Since then, however, Deleon Guerrero has clashed with the administration, mostly on issues involving the government’s budget and finances.
In February, Deleon Guerrero announced that she was leaving the Democratic Party. She is seeking re-election in November as an independent candidate. Her opponent is Precinct 2 Rep. Manny Castro, who was elected as an independent in 2022 and is now running as a Democrat. His candidacy is supported by the governor and Sen. Babauta.
