THE Senate Committee on Judiciary, Government, Law and Federal Relations is now soliciting comments from members of the community regarding Senate Bill 22-58 which will present to the voters in the next general elections the question, “Shall there be a constitutional convention to propose amendments to the Constitution?”
The bill, authored by Sen. Victor B. Hocog, was referred to the committee chaired by Sen. Karl King-Nabors.
The committee has already sent letters to the Office of Attorney General and the offices of Saipan, Tinian and Rota mayors, requesting comments. In addition, the committee will schedule a public hearing soon.
S.B. 22-58 states that it “aims to present the question of whether to convene for another constitutional convention, to the voters of the Commonwealth during the next general elections. It does not advocate nor recommend a position relative to the question.”
When the question was last presented to the voters in the 2005 general elections, 7,394 voted in favor of it and 5,156 voted against it.
According to the CNMI Constitution, two-thirds of the votes cast must be affirmative on the question of holding a convention.
S.B. 22-58 states that because it is mandated by the Constitution that the question be submitted to the voters “at a regular general election no later than ten years after the question was last submitted…it is now necessary to present the question once again.”
If passed by the legislature, the bill is not subject to the governor’s veto.
The bill states that the CNMI Constitution has been amended over 50 times since it took effect on Jan. 9, 1978.
Victor Hocog
