Introduced by Rep. Victor B. Hocog, Ind.-Rota, last February, House Legislative Initiative 16-8 will enable two-thirds of the voters on each of the three main islands to change the current land alienation provisions of the CNMI Constitution’s Article 12.
Chaired by Rep. Ramon A. Tebuteb, R-Saipan, the committee said the Legislature has deliberated extensively on similar proposals in the past eight years, and held public hearings this year on Saipan, Tinian and Rota to discuss this “controversial issue.”
According to the committee report, “the issue of land alienation is complex and is better left to the full membership of the House for discussion and action.”
Last month, a legislative initiative that would have allowed voters to decide whether they want to extend the lease term of private lands from 55 to 75 years failed to get enough votes in the House, which voted 10-9 in favor of H.L.I. 16-4.
The proposal needed at least 14 “yes” votes.
According to the CNMI Constitution, a legislative initiative can only be submitted to voters if it is approved by at least three-fourths of the members of each house of the Legislature present and voting.
Those against H.L.I. 16-4 argued that land alienation issue should be decided in 2011 as mandated by Section 805 of the islands’ Covenant with the U.S.
They also said that the economic arguments in favor of amending Article 12 were misleading, and land alienation laws had little to do with the present state of the CNMI economy.
