H.B. 17-55 was not on the agenda, as of yesterday, but Sen. Francisco Q. Cruz, R-Tinian, wants it included so they can act on it right away and move on to more important matters like the budget bill.
He said he does not want the Senate to sit on legislation he doesn’t support.
It is better to act on it right away so they can talk about other revenue-generating ideas, Cruz added.
Sen. Henry H. San Nicolas, Covenant-Tinian, in a separate interview, said he will move for the inclusion of the casino measure in their bill calendar “so we can dispose of it once and for all.”
San Nicolas said the Senate should spend more time discussing the budget bill which the Legislature has to pass before Oct. 1, the start of fiscal year 2011.
Senate President Paul A. Manglona, Ind.-Rota, said it is very tough to vote for the Saipan casino bill when the voters of the island have already spoken against it.
The Senate, he added, has already adopted a resolution expressing its opposition to the legislation.
He doubts if the casino bill could get the support of the Senate.
Rep. Raymond D. Palacios, Covenant-Saipan, who was among those who voted for the bill, is skeptical about the chances of its passage in the Senate.
Six of the nine senators are from Rota and Tinian, which both have casinos.
But Palacios said the Tinian senators have a good reason to support the Saipan casino bill: Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino no longer provides Tinian the revenue it needs.
As a result, he added, the CNMI’s central government is spending more for Tinian.
But the Rota senators may not support the bill, Palacios said.
The island’s first casino will open next month, “so they may not vote for the Saipan casino bill,” he added, referring to the Rota senators.
But Palacios said Rota’s lawmakers should also consider that under the Saipan casino bill, 25 percent of the gaming tax collections will go to Rota.
Only seven senators are expected to attend the session that will be held at Tinian Elementary School because Luis P. Crisostimo, Ind.-Saipan and Ralph DLG. Torres, R-Saipan, will be off-island on that day.
Senate Floor Pete P. Reyes, the Republican author of the resolution opposing the casino bill, will be the only Saipan member present.
Last week, Speaker Froilan C. Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, expressed optimism that there were senators who recognized the urgency for such a revenue-generating measure as his casino bill.
