House suspends rules to allow unnumbered measures; lawmakers introduce cannabis appropriation, casino compensation and local surtax proposals

The House voted unanimously, 19‑0, to suspend Rule 3, Section 6 and amend the agenda to allow introduction of unnumbered bills and resolutions within 72 hours of a posted session notice. “At this time, I move to suspend rule 3, section 6,” the floor leader moved; the clerk recorded 19 yes votes and the motion carried.

Following that suspension, lawmakers introduced multiple measures. Representative Danita Yankton introduced a bill “for an act to appropriate funds from accounts 15 o 1 b and 15 o 1 s to support the operational and personnel needs of the CNMI cannabis commission and to direct the secretary of finance to establish and maintain a separate subaccount within within this cannabis tax account for the purpose of segregating and reserving PSS designated share.” Yankton also said the bill would “repeal restrictions on the use of funds in accounts established under 4 CMC subsections 12 15 and 53 0 3 6 g.”

Representative Julie Ogle introduced local measures including an amendment to 10 CMC section 1 2 1 1 4 to provide compensation for members of the Rota Casino Commission, and an unnumbered local bill to impose an 8.5% local excise surtax on imported construction materials for licensed contractors in the First Senatorial District.

Representative Joel Camacho introduced an unnumbered local appropriation bill to appropriate revenues collected for the Third Senatorial District pursuant to Public Law 20‑59. Representative John Paul Sablan introduced a related unnumbered local appropriation to reappropriate $26,000 allotted under Saipan Local Law 20‑26 and reappropriate $25,000 allotted under Saipan Local Law 23‑10 for the Third Senatorial District.

The clerk acknowledged the introduced bills and said copies would be taken and the measures referred at a later time; committee referrals and hearings were not completed during the session.