By Emmanuel T. Erediano
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Variety News Staff
THE bicameral conference committee on Wednesday agreed on a compromise version of House Bill 24-96 to fund the Marianas Visitors Authority’s tourism recovery efforts.
All House and Senate conferees voted to adopt the bicameral conference draft of the bill, which both chambers are expected to pass in their respective sessions soon.
Authored by House Floor Leader Marissa Flores, the original version of H.B. 24-96 proposed appropriating $960,235.74 in tobacco settlement funds to help MVA with its tourism recovery efforts. The Senate, however, amended the bill to reduce the MVA allotment to $370,176 and appropriate the remainder as follows: $240,058 to the Public School System; $100,000 for activities and programs on Rota; $100,000 for personnel and operations of the Tinian Mayor’s Office; $100,000 for personnel and operations of the Saipan Mayor’s Office; and $50,000 for the Legislative Bureau.
At the beginning of the conference committee meeting on Tuesday, MVA Managing Director Judy Torres asked lawmakers to maintain the full tourism recovery appropriation, saying cutting MVA funding “will not save the Commonwealth money; it will cost the Commonwealth money.”
In the continuation of the meeting on Wednesday, Senate conferees agreed to restore the full MVA appropriation but sought assurances that the funding would also help Rota and Tinian restore their respective tourism sectors.
Sen. Jude U. Hofschneider offered a substitute version of the bill restoring the full $960,235.74 in tobacco settlement funds while also guaranteeing $70,000 to subsidize inter-island travel, specifically air seats for tourists bound for Rota and Tinian.
Lawmakers approved Hofschneider’s proposal before voting to adopt the compromise version of H.B. 24-96.
Flores said the MVA board had indicated in recent meetings that the CNMI is not whole without Rota and Tinian, adding that allocating the tobacco settlement funds “is a first step at looking at the Marianas as a whole when we are talking about tourism stabilization.”
In an interview on Wednesday, Rep. John Paul Sablan, who co-chairs the bicameral conference committee, said the House conferees did not have a problem with the Senate’s proposal to help Rota and Tinian with tourism recovery.
“We deliberated and emphasized that the bill actually came from the governor’s communication for that money, which is an outside source. This was identified by the governor in the spirit of helping MVA market our economy so we can sooner rather than later realize the return of tourism,” Sablan said.
The other House conferees were Rep. Blas Jonathan Attao and Rep. Ralph N. Yumul, with House Floor Leader Marissa Flores serving as alternate member.
The Senate conferees were Hofschneider, Senate Floor Leader Donald Manglona, and Sen. Frank Q. Cruz, with Senate Vice President Corina Magofna as alternate.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
