THE Senate leadership has pre-filed Senate Joint Resolution 22-9, approving Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ request to create a new business unit in the fiscal year 2022 budget to fund the retirees’ $1,000 bonus.
S.J.R. 22-9 states that the governor and the Finance secretary’s “plan to reprogram the total amount of $2.6 million from within the executive branch for the sole purpose of retiree bonuses….”
The administration has also “assured the Legislature that programs within the executive branch will not be hindered in any way as these funds will be back-filled using American Rescue Plan Act funds under the provisions of Government Loss Revenues which is subject to state law.”
If necessary, the joint resolution stated, “the governor and lt. governor’s discretionary accounts and funding sources under the Department of Finance will be reprogrammed for this purpose.”
The joint resolution was introduced by the six Republican members of the Senate: Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider, Senate Vice President Justo Quitugua, Senate Floor Leader Vinnie Sablan, Sens. Victor Hocog, Karl-King Nabors and Frank Q. Cruz.
The Senate earlier passed its version of H.B. 22-91 to give the governor 100% reprogramming authority over the executive branch to fund the bonuses.
But the House rejected the Senate version, prompting Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez to appoint Rep. Donald Manglona, Vice Speaker Blas Jonathan Attao and Rep. Corina Magofna as House conferees to the bicameral committee that will try to draft a new version of the bill acceptable to both chambers.
The Senate has yet to name its conferees.
Sen. Paul A. Manglona, a minority bloc member, said he “doesn’t understand” why the Senate leadership wants to continue “playing political football, prolonging the issuance of the $1,000 retiree bonus check.”
“I thought that they already understood clearly the legality question of the lack of a business unit in the budget. They agreed already to work with H.B. 22-91 as amended by the Senate.
“Why would the Senate want to go back to square one, using a resolution?” Manglona added.
“The Senate leadership needs to stop using our retirees in their political game. Let’s give them what we promised them since December of last year,” he said.
Jude Hofschneider
