Saipan lawmakers still support the bill but disagree over its key provision.
Cabrera, R-Saipan, at the same time said Gov. Benigno R. Fitial advised them to assess “very carefully” the language of House Local Bill 17-44 in light of the presence of major casinos in Asia.
Cabrera said he agrees and this is why he is opposed to the $575 million deposit requirement for an exclusive license.
He also does not support charging a $25 million upfront payment from an investor who already has a hotel with 200 rooms.
The speaker said with so many other casinos in other Asian countries, the CNMI cannot make itself “very expensive.”
A $200,000 license fee, he said, should be enough.
The government’s work-hour cuts, which the other proponents want the $575 million license to address, is not the fault of potential investors so “why should we pass that burden to them?” Cabrera asked.
He said other delegation members have expressed concerns with other provisions of the bill and may vote against it once it’s on the floor.
Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan and the bill’s author, earlier said he did not like the idea of exempting a Northern Marianas Descent corporation from the investment cap. Nobody should get special treatment, he said.
Rep. Froilan C. Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, is opposed to the provision extending the benefits of casino revenue to the residents of Tinian and Rota, although he said will go along with the majority.
But Vice Speaker Felicidad T. Ogumoro, Covenant-Saipan, remains optimistic that the bill will be passed and enacted into law.
She said Fitial’s advice “is a chance for them “to really look at all the angles.”
The governor, she added, wants lawmakers to give themselves enough time to settle their differences.
But this, she said, should not delay the legalization of casino on Saipan.
“We should also try to expedite our action,” she said adding that they must finish what they have already started.
