With Sen. Luis P. Crisostimo, Ind.-Saipan, abstaining, the rest of the eight senators voted to enact Senate Bill 17-56. It will become law if the House of Representatives follow suit.
An override requires the support of two-thirds of the members of each house.
Manglona, who authored the bill, said it is plain and simple. It is nothing new, he added, as it was implemented by the prior administration and worked very well.
Paying the prevailing federal minimum wage for federally funded CIP’s, he added, will motivate local people and other U.S. citizens to pick up shovels and work.
The local rate is $5.05 an hour.
Fitial vetoed the bill, saying it was “unnecessary” and would broaden the application to the CNMI of the U.S. prevailing wage in the states.
He said it would also create additional work for the Procurement and Supply director and the heads of other government agencies who must comply with the reporting mandate but without the needed adequate resources to do so.
