SENATOR Paul A. Manglona is urging his colleagues to “review carefully” the provisions vetoed by Gov. Ralph DLG Torres when he signed into law the fiscal year 2022 budget or Public Law 22-8.
It appropriates $103.3 million in projected local revenue for government personnel and operations in FY 2022, which started on Oct. 1, 2021.
In his remarks during a session on Friday, Manglona said the governor removed “critical budgetary and accountability provisions” from the appropriation measure.
The senator said these pertain to changes in government employees’ pay; the budget reduction and reprogramming authority; government utilities expenditure; restrictions of payments for the utilities of elected officials; the limitations of the governor’s use of an emergency order or executive order to reprogram appropriated funds; the maximum number of positions established for each of the government’s business units; the $50,000 appropriation for a market feasibility study of the casino gaming industry in the CNMI; and the provisions pertaining to the American Rescue Plan Act that require a joint resolution before the governor can make changes to the ARPA allocations.
Manglona said approximately 20 sections and subsections were vetoed by the governor.
“If the Legislature cannot have a say on the number of government employees, FTEs, and their corresponding salaries, and on budget reprogramming authority and restrictions, then what and where is the power of the Legislature, and where is the check and balance between the branches of our government?” the senator asked.
“I respectfully ask this body to review carefully all the vetoed parts of this appropriation measure. I also ask our legal counsel to do an analysis of each of the vetoed parts and give an opinion as to the legality of the governor’s action on each item,” he added.
The Legislature can override the line-item vetoes, but this requires the support of two-thirds of the members in each house — 13 in the 20-member House and six in the nine-member Senate.
Paul A. Manglona
